PAWNEE COUNTY— A Kansas man has been found guilty in the theft of a bass boat in rural Pawnee County.
Lyle Miller photo Pawnee Co.
During a trial Tuesday and Wednesday in the Pawnee County District Court regarding a felony criminal complaint against Lyle W. Miller, 39 of Larned, the jury heard testimony that on July 2, 2018, the Edwards County Sheriff’s Department received a report that a sixteen-foot bass boat was missing from a shed in rural Edwards County, according to Pawnee County Attorney Doug McNett. The owner testified he suspected Miller as possibly being involved in the theft because Miller had recently worked for the owner and was responsible for locking up the shed the last time they’d been out there.
Additional testimony was presented that on the evening of July 27, 2018, the owner’s nephew had been at Miller’s home in Larned, saw the boat in Miller’s Garage and that Miller asked him to forget what he saw.
The nephew further testified that he then called the owner’s stepson and Miller’s younger brother and asked what they thought he should do. Neither individual wanted to get involved. Both individuals testified confirming the telephone conversations. The next morning, the nephew called the owner’s wife and they decided he should just go retrieve the boat because he was friends with Miller. The nephew’s nine-year-old son testified he went with his dad that morning to “Lyle’s house to get Uncle Bill’s Boat” and that his dad told him to call 911 if he saw any trouble. Law enforcement was later called when the family discovered the boat was damaged and all of the identifying marks had been ground off.
Miller took the stand in his own defense and testified the nephew was never in his house on the night of July 27th or the morning of July 28th and that while he knew the boat was missing it was never at his house.
The jury made up of 8 women and 4 men deliberated for approximately 35 minutes before returning a guilty verdict Wednesday morning of Felony Theft of Property worth at least $1,500, but less than $24,999.
Sentencing is scheduled for June 20, 2019 at 2:00 p.m.. The defendant remains free on bond.
Depending on his criminal history, Miller’s faces between 5 and 17 months in the custody of the Department of Corrections.