A Vancouver man accused of dousing his ex-girlfriend with gasoline and setting fire to her house in September has recovered enough from burn injuries to be jailed on suspicion of attempted murder and arson.
Since the Sept. 17 incident, David Michael Miller, 23, had been hospitalized at the Oregon Burn Center at Legacy Emanuel Medical Center in Portland with serious burns. In November, he was discharged from the hospital and lodged at the Multnomah County Jail for a week before waiving extradition and being transported to Clark County, said Deputy Prosecutor Jeff Holmes.
He will be arraigned Friday on charges of first-degree attempted murder domestic violence, first-degree arson, first-degree burglary and two counts of harassment.
At his first court appearance Nov. 22, Clark County Superior Court Judge Rich Melnick set bail at $500,000 and appointed attorney Jeff Barrar to represent him.
Investigators said Miller’s girlfriend had told him she wanted to end their seven-year relationship and asked him to move out the morning of the incident. They were living at a home in the Sifton area with their 5-year-old son, police said.
The 23-year-old woman, Jessica Whalen, told investigators Miller then sent her a string of angry text messages, according to court documents.
“Jessica indicated that in one of the messages, David told her that he was going to ‘come over, light my place on fire, lock me in and watch me burn,’ ” according to a probable cause affidavit written by sheriff’s Detective Todd Barsness. She said the threats scared her and that she didn’t respond.
At 7 p.m. that evening, Whalen heard an intruder coming in through the back door of the house, so she went to check. She saw Miller yelling and pouring gasoline throughout the home, according to the affidavit. Miller also poured gasoline on Whalen, and she ran from the house with her son, sister and mother.
“Jessica told me that as soon as they reached the street, they could see flames in several windows of the home,” according to the affidavit.
As authorities responded, they received calls that the house was engulfed in flames. Miller was found at a gas station in the 7700 block of Northeast 117th Avenue, a short drive from the house. Authorities said he had been severely burned.
Whalen was treated at Southwest Washington Medical Center and released that day. Miller was admitted to the burn center and, at one point, was in critical condition.
Court documents say Miller suffers from depression and had been off his medication for a year.
Since Miller still suffers from his burns, he has needed regular medical care. Fortunately for taxpayers, the jail’s contracted medical staff has performed the majority of his treatment in the jail and he’s only had to be transported back to the burn center once, said Darin Rouhier, finance manager for the Clark County Sheriff’s Office.
Laura McVicker: 360-735-4516 or laura.mcvicker@columbian.com.
