Miller pleads not guilty in Janish murder

BENTON COUNTY — The man accused of killing Sabrina Hustad Janish last October has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder.

David C. Miller, 32, filed the written plea on April 8, according to online court records. His pretrial conference has been scheduled for April 28 and his trial has been scheduled for May 9.

Miller is accused of killing Janish, 25, sometime around October 25. Janish's body was found that day at Miller's home at 3257 59th Street Trail. Around 4 a.m. Oct. 25, the Benton County Sheriff's Office took a report of a truck stolen from a home on 59th Street Trail. The victims told deputies they saw a man take the truck and head south. The truck was later found crashed into construction equipment about 1.5 miles away.

While authorities were investigating the stolen truck, a nearby resident reported that his truck was also stolen.

Around that same time, the Linn County Sheriff's Office took a report of a man suffering from a head wound walking along Lewis Bottoms Road, two miles east of where the first truck was crashed. The man, later identified as Miller, was taken to a Cedar Rapids hospital and interviewed.

Miller was initially arrested on charges of operating a vehicle without the owners consent and parole violation. He was held at the Benton County Jail without bond.

Around noon on Oct. 25, The Benton County Sheriff's Office took two reports of a woman's body at Miller's home and discovered Janish's body there. Officials said she had been stabbed and strangled.

Court documents said Miller's blood was found on Janish's clothing and blood belonging to both Janish and Miller were found on a vehicle. There was a large amount of blood in Miller's home and a knife was found with Janish's blood on it. A pair of boots containing Miller's DNA and Janish's blood were also recovered.

First-degree murder is a Class A felony punishable by life in prison.