Marvin Anthony Miller Jr., a 54-year-old graduate of Wayland High School, was murdered on January 11, 2024, in Gainesville, Florida. The incident occurred in the Suburban Heights neighborhood, where Miller and the suspect, James Tate, were working as contractors on a recently sold rental home.
Miller's body was discovered by police at 4720 Northwest 16th Place with apparent gunshot wounds.
Prior to the discovery, Tate had allegedly chased another contractor out of the home and fired a shot that struck the garage door of a nearby residence. This led to a high-speed chase involving the Gainesville Police Department, the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office, and the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office. The pursuit ended when Tate crashed his silver Chevrolet work pickup in Columbia County.
Following the crash, Tate was apprehended and booked into the Columbia County Jail on charges of fleeing and eluding. His bond was set at $5 million, and he is to be extradited to Alachua County to face charges related to Miller’s murder.
Residents of the neighborhood expressed shock at the incident, describing the area as otherwise quiet. Miller and Tate had been staying at the rental home while renovating it, highlighting a tragic turn of events between work partners.
