Man given life in 2019 Barberton murder

BRANDON CHURCHILL

BGNN staff report

A 23-year-old man was sentenced to life in prison for the 2019 murder of a 64-year-old Barberton man after a sentence Feb. 27 in Summit County Common Pleas Court.

Brandon Churchill pleaded guilty to one count of murder and one count of aggravated burglary in the stabbing death of Mark Miller. Churchill will be eligible for parole consideration after 15 years.

In December 2019, Miller’s daughter was living with Churchill’s father and Miller went there to take care of his grandchild. Churchill, who was not allowed to be in the house, was found lurking in the basement. Miller called the police
and told them about Churchill and Churchill stabbed him several times before fleeing in his car. Police caught him after he crashed into a nearby restaurant; he was hiding behind the dumpster of another restaurant and he had a large knife with him. He later confessed to the stabbing.

His conduct continued in jail and he also pleaded guilty to a count of vandalism and a count of assault during that time.

According to court documents, it appears his competency was at question and was being evaluated in the more than five-year-old case.

“Mark Miller was just trying to care for his grandchild when he was brutally and senselessly murdered,” Summit County
Prosecutor Elliot Kolkovich said after the sentencing. “My thoughts are with his loved ones as they continue to grapple with the aftermath of this act of violence. I want to thank the Barberton Police Department for their quick
work in apprehending Churchill and my assistant prosecutors for ensuring Churchill will be removed from our communities.”