COLD CASEs MATTER™
The Canal Murders and the two victims nearly forgotten after more than two decades
As the lead investigator on the Phoenix Cold Case Investigations team, Hillman recounts the harrowing journey to unmask the elusive Bryan Patrick Miller, now famously known as the enigmatic "Zombie Hunter." However, the identity of this serial killer was a mystery for more than twenty years, and few people ever believed the case could be cracked.
The narrative begins with the unsolved murders that sent shockwaves through Phoenix twenty years ago. On November 8, 1992, around 7:00 pm, 21-year-old Angela Brosso went for an evening bicycle ride near her apartment. Her mutilated body was found the next day less than a half-mile from her home.
It took another 10 days for investigators to find her head in the Arizona Canal, more than a mile and a half from where her body was found.
A forensic examination found evidence of sexual assault. Investigators determined that Angela Brosso died from a stab wound to the back that pierced her lung and aorta, a key piece of evidence that would eventually help incriminate Bryan Patrick Miller.
Angela Brosso was the first victim in what would become known as the Canal Murders, but she wasn’t the last. Nearly a year later, 17-year-old high school junior Melanie Bernas went for an evening bicycle ride. After a pool of blood was discovered near the same place where Angela Brosso’s head was found, investigators searched and found Melanie Bernas’ body floating in the Arizona Canal.
Melanie Bernas was stabbed from behind, just like Angela Brosso, and had been sexually assaulted. Both women’s bodies had been mutilated. The striking similarity of the heinous crimes led investigators to the inevitable conclusion that a vile and unremorseful serial killer was stalking unsuspecting women near the Arizona canal.
Without leads, the case went cold. More than twenty years passed.
Enter Detective Hillman and his team of expert investigators.
Detective Hillman’s new book tells the story of why the Canal Murders case was reopened
With every lead gone cold, the Canal Murders case was shrouded in mystery until a breakthrough reignited the Phoenix Cold Case Investigations team's determination. In this riveting account, Hillman shares the challenges, frustrations, and triumphs of the relentless pursuit to unravel the details that eventually led to the arrest of Bryan Patrick Miller.
As Detective Hillman peels back the layers of the investigation, readers are taken on a rollercoaster ride through an investigation that involves cutting-edge forensics technology, an unbelievably tense sting operation to collect DNA, and good old-fashioned detective work.
From long-forgotten crime scenes to surprise witnesses, the author provides a gripping firsthand account of the painstaking work that ultimately led to Bryan Miller's doorstep.
Detective Hillman’s true crime story delves into the psychological cat-and-mouse game between investigator and suspect, highlighting the evolution of forensic techniques, technological advancements, and the unwavering commitment of the investigative team. With vivid detail, Hillman uncovers the complexities of Miller's character, the chilling details of the crimes, and the shocking revelations that surface during the intense interrogations.
The narrative reaches its crescendo with the dramatic 2015 capture of Bryan Patrick Miller, a man who had eluded justice for two decades. Detective Hillman meticulously details the courtroom drama, exposing the intricacies of the legal battle that would finally bring closure to the victims' families and the city of Phoenix.
The Cold Case Team that caught the cold-blooded killer known as the Zombie Hunter
In Detective Hillman’s new book, you’ll meet the cold case team members and the professionals who worked with them who helped bring a killer to justice…
● The detective with a messy cubicle who was the most organized member of the team.
● The nutty profiler who took the cold case team on an international journey.
● The continual back-stretching detective whose humbleness lured in even the most dangerous, say-nothing-to-the-cops criminals.
● The forensic genealogist that was used for the first time by the Phoenix Police Department.
● The beautiful and passionate detective that possessed the toughness of a pit bull.
● The lone wolf - a seasoned professional detective who’s seen it all.
● The Kid - young but one of the best cold case detectives in the nation.
● The storyteller who could get things done because he knew everyone.
● The DNA lab supervisor with unsurpassed cold case experience who would offer a suggestion that helped break open the case.
These are the individuals you’ll meet as you turn the pages of Detective Hillman’s story. Most importantly, you’ll get to know that man who not only brought Bryan Patrick Miller to justice but remains a relentless advocate for cold case investigations.
The identity of a killer known as the Zombie Hunter
More than 20 years had passed before Bryan Patrick Miller first became a suspect in the Phoenix Canal murders. It was 2015, and Bryan Miller was a 42-year-old divorced dad raising his young daughter in Phoenix while working at an Amazon warehouse.
In other words, there was nothing particularly special about Bryan Miller. However, there was one detail about Bryan Miller’s personal life that stood out as unusual.
Bryan Patrick Miller had an alter-ego he called, The Zombie Hunter.
Dressed in an outfit resembling some sort of postapocalyptic steampunk plague doctor, Miller drove around in a vehicle resembling a police car, splattered with fake blook, and a mannequin in the back seat. The mannequin appeared to be locked behind bars and displayed like some sort of trophy for the fictious Zombie Hunter “hero” that Miller pretended to embody.
The Zombie Hunter’s cosplay consisted of a blood-stained trench coat, a mask and hat that covered his entire face, and a full-size Gatling gun altered so that it could be wielded like a shotgun.
As his Zombie Hunter persona, Miller was well-known all over Phoenix. He regularly attended parades and special events. He was also popular with police who enjoyed posing with The Zombie Hunter for photos.
Detective Hillman was shocked to discover that the perpetrator of the Canal Murders had been hiding in plain sight for decades, collecting photos of himself smiling with uniformed police officers who were unaware that they stood arm-in-arm with a cold-blooded killer.
What few people knew was that The Zombie Hunter had a criminal history that would directly link him with the murders of Angela Brosso and Melanie Bernas. It was a history that would also link Bryan Miller to another attempted murder committed in Washington State.
The sordid details about the Zombie Hunter, Phoenix’s most notorious serial killer, are covered in detail by Detective Hillman in his new book, which includes information from the original FBI profile. These fascinating details paint a portrait of a sick man with a diseased mind who may very well have killed again had he not been apprehended and locked behind bars.
Author and Police Sergeant Troy Hillman – In his own words
“From the moment the canal murders touched my world, I knew I would never be the same. I was completely overwhelmed yet equally obsessed.
It all started with a media request for the complete canal murders reports. The reports were massive consisting of reams upon reams of paper. I found a vacant board room and secluded myself for two solid weeks.
Inside those walls, it was me versus the evil wretch who killed two innocent young girls on their bikes in the early 1990’s. Even though I had walked away from the overtly meticulous world of accounting years before, I applied the entirety of my CPA-trained brain and sifted through every single word.
I was beyond shocked and horrified. How could someone be this evil? Cutting a woman almost in half, seriously? Severing her head, refrigerating it, and then boldly tossing it into a canal days later? Not to mention carving on the body of a 17-year-old and redressing it post-mortem?
I had so many questions, but the supreme question was, ‘Where did the killer go?’
There was no pre-crime behavior. There was no post-crime behavior. Did he move on? Was he in a mental institution? Prison? Or was he dead?
The ‘he’s dead’ theory was the prevailing feeling amongst the seasoned investigators in the homicide unit. Maybe it gave a sense of closure, but it wasn’t a theory that worked for me. Every CPA knows for every debit there’s a corresponding credit. This CPA had to know where that credit was. Where was the missing puzzle piece?
I exited that paper-laden room beyond frustrated. Those girls and their families deserved justice. To label the killer as dead and move on was absolutely not acceptable. I needed to build a team. Yet, it had to be a talented, hardworking, and hungry group.
One by one, this historic group of detectives were hand-picked and added. We embarked in a 3.5-year hunt for the killer which turned out to be one hell of a ride.
The eclectic group of detectives traveled across the country tracking down creepy leads only to hit roadblock after roadblock. Nonetheless, my team kept moving forward scouring a massive list of files and consulting with experts.
Each of us having children of our own, this case was personal. A cutting-edge scientist entered the picture, and we caught a huge break. Bryan Patrick Miller had been hiding in plain sight all along as the Zombie Hunter.
After hunting down the Zombie Hunter, my cold case team was inexplicably disbanded. My anger at the ill-advised decision was channeled into writing a book. I knew I had to tell this story.
Solving the canal murders and catching the Zombie Hunter was absolute testament to why cold cases matter. We cannot give up on these victims and their families at the one-year anniversary mark nor can we allow murderers to roam without talented investigators hunting them.
Bottom line: If it were not for my cold case team, Bryan Patrick Miller would still be out there walking amongst us.”