Kriti Mehrotra
When Intel contractor Kenneth Fandrich was found dead inside his car in the parking garage of his workplace in Hillsboro, Oregon, on January 27, 2023, it left the entire community shaken. That’s because, as explored in CBS’ ‘Murder in the Parking Garage,’ while the 56-year-old appeared to have died from natural causes at first glance, he had actually been strangled to death. It took a few days for investigators to figure out precisely what had transpired and who was behind the heinous crime, but they were able to bring about justice with Steven Neil Milner’s arrest.
Steven Milner Was Once a Well-Respected Veterinarian and Community Member
Steven Neil Milner is an Oregon native through and through, having grown up in the suburban town of Tillamook. It was there that he realized early on that he wanted to pursue a career helping others, driving him to eventually enroll at Oregon State University to pursue a doctorate in veterinary medicine. According to reports, he graduated in 1993 and almost immediately kick-started his career, but his ethics/morality came into question merely three years later owing to an alleged malpractice.
Steven was actually investigated by the Veterinary Medical Examining Board for “unprofessional or dishonorable conduct” after he allegedly euthanized two dogs without their owners’ consent. However, it didn’t affect his career trajectory or reputation at all, as the state board soon dropped the probe altogether, allowing him to continue working in the field without any stigma. In fact, the doctor gradually became known for his empathy, treating every animal with kindness, sending sympathy cards to every owner who lost their pet, and helming charity events/fundraisers.
By the time the mid-2010s rolled around, Steven had successfully navigated his veterinary practice and his philanthropic endeavors, earning him the reputation as a pillar of Washington County. Therefore, it was a shock to the entire community when he started being accused of harassment, stalking, and more before he ultimately retired in 2020 by selling his private clinic to a national chain. According to records, he was twice-divorced, a proud father, and an avid hunter with significant wealth; yet, his obsession with a former affair partner and her husband turned his entire world upside down.
Steven Neil Milner Tormented Tanya and Kenneth Fandrich For Years
It was in 2000 that Oregon City resident Tanya Fandrich first met Steven upon landing a job as a veterinary technician at his brand-new clinic, becoming one of his first employees. According to her accounts, her relationship with him was entirely platonic until 2017, when he started paying her attention while she was having problems in her marriage, resulting in an affair. Things changed just 5 months later, though, as Kenneth discovered the infidelity and left home, which made her realize how “wrong” she was. She, therefore, immediately ended her relationship with her lover.
Kenneth soon forgave his wife of 24 years and returned home so they could work on their union, unaware it would enrage Steven to such an extent that he would begin harassing the couple. The first documented incident of the same is from late 2017 when the Intel contractor received an anonymous threatening letter, which soon spiraled into more letters, eerie phone calls, and stalking. The doctor even trespassed onto their property on various occasions, placed GPS tracking devices under their vehicles, and reportedly followed Kenneth around whenever possible to scare him.
Kenneth filed for a temporary restraining order against Steven in 2019, the same year Tanya finally quit his clinic to start anew; however, the doctor returned to his old ways the moment it expired. In fact, the stalking reportedly became worse as he started leaving notes on his ex-lover’s car, visiting her new workplace, and sneaking onto the grounds of their home in the dark of night. Therefore, in March 2022, the couple was granted a stalking protective order against him, which he seemingly only started to take seriously after getting arrested for violating it a month later.
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Steven Neil Milner is Currently Serving a Life Term for Murder
Steven was released from jail pending trial, only for things to go from bad to worse as he actually learned to be more covert in his stalking by using different cars and masks to disguise himself. According to records, he bought a car through Craigslist in October 2022, primarily to follow Kenneth to and from work without being seen, and also started keeping track of his daily patterns. Then, in early January 2023, he purchased another car under a false name, which he used to watch the Intel contractor in the parking structure of his workplace while wearing a heavy disguise.
What’s more, Steven, in disguise, even spray-painted the security cameras around Kenneth’s car on a few occasions over time, with the final one occurring on January 27, 2023. That’s the day he also ambushed his former lover’s husband in a fit of rage, grabbed him in a strong chokehold from behind, and put enough pressure to kill him, as per court records. The retired veterinarian then staged his victim’s remains and belongings inside his car to make it look like he had died of natural causes, only for his autopsy to confirm injuries to his neck and spine.
Steven was arrested for Kenneth’s murder on January 31, 2023, but he didn’t stand trial for the same until early 2025. During the court proceedings, he testified in his own defense, claiming he acted in self-defense after Kenneth attacked him. However, in the end, owing to the mountain of circumstantial evidence against him, the jury found him guilty of second-degree murder, stalking, and seven counts of violating a protective order. He was subsequently sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, so today, at the age of 58, he is incarcerated at the medium-security Snake River Correctional Institution in Ontario, Oregon. He is expected to remain there for the rest of his natural life.
