Naman Shrestha
In the episode titled ‘The Black Widow of Pennsylvania’ of Investigation Discovery’s ‘Evil Lives Here,’ the primary focus is on the tragic passing of John Nichols in his Millmont, Pennsylvania, residence in the spring of 2018. What seemed like a natural death turned into a murder case as the detectives dug deep into his life to identify the perpetrator. By featuring exclusive and insightful interviews with John’s loved ones and the officials linked to the investigation, the documentary provides the viewers with a detailed account of the entire case.
John Nichols Had Unprescribed Drugs in His System at the Time of His Death
On September 2, 1940, John W. Nichols was born to Walter and Edith Nichols in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania. Growing up with two brothers — Bud Nichols and Leonard Nichols — John began dating Edith in his teenage years before marrying her in the late 1950s. The couple welcomed three loving children into the world, including two daughters named Tammy and Lori and a son named Steve Nichols. On the professional front, John worked as a carpenter and was an integral member of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters. In his free time, he loved fishing, hunting, and being outdoors. John was also a member of the Union County Sportsman Club and the West End Fire Company.
After about 41 years of marriage, he lost Edith as she tragically passed away in September 2000, leaving John devastated. More than a decade later, John decided to give love and marriage another try as he tied the knot with Myrle E. Smith at the Mifflinburg Church of New Life on December 31, 2012. Over the following years, the couple, who lived on Lamey Road in Millmont, Pennsylvania, traveled regularly and made some lovely memories together. However, John’s heart health began deteriorating in the 2010s, and he was prescribed medication for the same. On the fateful day of April 14, 2018, he passed away at his home. Initially, his death seemed natural, but when the autopsy revealed that he had other drugs in his system, including a lethal dose of Verapamil, a homicide investigation was launched.
Someone Close to John Nichols Had Poisoned Him and Drained His Bank Accounts
As part of the investigation, the detectives delved deeper into the personal life of John Nichols and the circumstances in the weeks and months leading to his demise. Upon taking a closer look at his marriage to Myrle Miller, they found evidence of her draining his bank account ever since marrying him. In fact, the couple was questioned by the Union-Snyder Agency on Aging in April 2018, following allegations that Myrle had been committing fraud by stealing and spending John’s savings. John, who believed that his bank accounts were fine, allowed the interrogation to begin, but tried to stop it, allegedly at Myrle’s request. During the short-lived investigation, John was under the impression that he had about $257,000 dispersed across three investment accounts.
However, it later turned out that his wife had drained all those accounts and taken out a $19,000 loan against his life insurance. Since Myrle was responsible for dispensing John’s heart medication, the detectives suspected that she gave him a lethal dose of her own blood pressure medication, Verapamil, which led to the heart failure that took his life. Not long after John’s demise, she married her fourth husband and moved on with her life. As the detectives dug deeper into her past, they learned that in 1986, she was also accused of attempting to kill her first husband by poisoning his drinks. However, she was acquitted of the charges against her in 1988. When the investigators gathered enough evidence against her, the retired nurse was arrested in May 2021 and held behind bars without bond.
Myrle Miller Died Less Than Two Years After Her Sentencing Hearing
Nearly two years later, Myrle Miller’s homicide trial got underway in April 2023. During a weeklong trial, the prosecution presented a series of evidence against Myrle, claiming that she had poisoned John Nichols with her medication and drained his bank accounts. They told the jury that she allegedly kept him in a drugged state until she fed him the lethal dose. Her son also took the stand and testified that she used to provide him with cash under the condition that he would not tell John. On the other hand, the defense argued that John was aware of the spending and his death was accidental.
The defense also alleged that John had been prescribed medication for dementia. The jury deliberated for a while and returned with a guilty verdict. Thus, Myrle Miller was convicted of all counts, including first-degree murder of John Nichols and other felony counts related to draining his accounts. Three months later, on July 21, 2023, Myrle’s sentencing hearing took place, during which several members of John’s family gave victim impact statements. His daughter, Lori Hedding, addressed the convict, stating, “Your soul is just too dark to feel anything. I believe, Myrle, you are the true definition of evil.” His other daughter, Tammy Lawton, also said, “Instead of leaving after taking all of his worldly possessions, you took his life.”
Ultimately, Myrle was sentenced to life in prison for the murder conviction and a consecutive sentence of 148 to 294 months for her other felony counts. She was also ordered to pay nearly $400,000 in restitution. In the summer of 2024, Myrle and her defense counsel filed an appeal with the Pennsylvania Superior Court seeking to overturn her conviction. However, on January 7, 2025, while she was incarcerated at the State Correctional Institution in Muncy, Pennsylvania, the killer passed away due to natural causes at the age of 79.
Read More: Bradly Jordan Murder: What Happened to Roceam Wilson?
