"48 Hours" investigates: "Unmasking the Zombie Hunter" | Forensic Files

this week's 48 Hours reports on a decades old murder case that eventually LED investigators to a man known as the
zombie hunter in the 1990s two young women were murdered while riding their bikes in Phoenix Arizona their cases
remain unsolved for decades then using genetic genealogy investigators narrowed it to a suspect a local celebrity who
was known for dressing like a zombie hunter here's a look at Peter vanzant's Report there are not many crimes that
are like this one you had women riding bicycles along the canal on a typical Phoenix evening ambushed stabbed
multiple times Brianna Whitney the True Crime reporter for the CBS affiliate kph
in Phoenix says the first victim was 21-year-old Angela braso whose body was found in November
1992 police are looking at the scene and thinking what on Earth happened and who
did this 10 months later the body of 17-year-old high school student Melanie bernus was found in one of the city's
canals investigators found the same DNA at both scenes but had no match says detective Clark schwarzkoff I think
there was over 600 Persons of Interest after some 20 years investigators zeroed in on 42-year-old Brian Patrick Miller a
divorced father raising his teenage daughter I'm seeing him with his daughter I just don't see
this guy as being the monster in 1992 and 93 that would do this to these women but as schwarzkoff soon learned Miller
had a unique Alter Ego everybody in the Phoenix area knew Brian Patrick Miller as this character called the zombie
hunter the zombie hunter the zombie hunter like a comic book character yeah like a comic book character Miller
dressed in a homemade costume and drove a tricked out former police car people wanted to take pictures with him
including Law Enforcement Officers Schwarz cof was skeptical but the detective secured Miller's DNA days
later the head of the forensic lab had some news she leans down to me she goes it's him and I go what she goes Brian
Miller it's him it was like he was hiding in playing sight h wow Peter vand joins us right now uh so
how did they zero in on him as the suspect the main suspect so the Cold Case unit came up with the name Miller
when they looked through all of these files and they brought in a genetic genealogist and they had the DNA of the
murderer that genealogist took this DNA and did the magic that they do these days and ended up coming up with six
names of people who lived in the southwest of the United States who had the last name Miller one of them was
Brian Miller who lived in Phoenix and so they do an undercover operation they lure him to a Chili's restaurant offer
him a a burger and something to drink takes a sip from the glass they have the DNA from that it goes off to the lab
some days later it comes back and it's the man who is the zombie hunter known all throughout Phoenix living out in the
open and even the cops liked him there's pictures we have all these pictures of cops with him they had no idea who they
were standing next to I'm always Blown Away Peter when you see people who do do this who have daughters of their own
there's a part of me that just thinks you have a little girl you just couldn't possibly do that to another woman that
always surprises me but why did he dress up as that zombie hunter dude and in the
first place what was he doing he was a horror film fanatic all his friends that's what they did is they watched
these these kinds of films and he became a zombie this was 21 years after the murders what do zombies do they're the
undead they are relentlessly violent I don't know what they are they're relentlessly violent and I think there
was something about that that that made become this character but I mean people who had seen
this car driving all over town not realizing it was a killer I'm curious to hear what he has to say now Bri yeah and
that's oh he claims he has no memory of any abuse that's why we should tune in you can see Peter this whole report
unmasking the zombie hunter on 48 hours tomorrow night at 109 Central here on CDs and streaming on Paramount Plus

"48 Hours" investigates the murders of two young women in Phoenix, Arizona, that was solved decades later using genetic genealogy. "48 Hours" correspondent Peter Van Sant joins "CBS Mornings" with a preview of his report and shares how a man known as the "Zombie Hunter" became a prime suspect.

Each weekday morning, "CBS Mornings” co-hosts Gayle King, Tony Dokoupil and Nate Burleson bring you the latest breaking news, smart conversation and in-depth feature reporting. "CBS Mornings" airs weekdays at 7 a.m. on CBS and stream it at 8 a.m. ET on the CBS News app.

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Brief Summary

A decades-old murder case in Phoenix leads to Brian Patrick Miller, the zombie hunter, as the prime suspect through genetic genealogy.

Key points

Unmasking the Zombie Hunter. A decades-old murder case leads investigators to a local celebrity known as the zombie hunter.
The Shocking Revelation. Forensic evidence finally points to Brian Patrick Miller, a beloved local figure.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

It's him! Brian Miller, it's him!

Forensic lab head reveals the suspect's identity.

2:18WatchOct 20, 2023

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