Court martial in Miller slayings next week

The court-martial of the woman who is accused of killing an Army couple in Fort Lewis, Wash., is scheduled for next week.

Spc. Ivette Davila faces the death penalty in the March 2, 2008, slayings of soldiers Staff Sgt. Timothy and Sgt. Randi Miller.

Davila's general court-martial on kidnapping and murder charges starts Monday, according to Joseph J. Piek, spokesman for Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington. The hearing is expected to last through Aug. 26.

Timothy Miller's mother, Gardnerville resident Tami Gray, said the Army is issuing subpoenas in preparation for the sentencing of Davila.

Gray, who is caring for the Millers' daughter Kassidy, said the family is leaving to attend the proceedings on Thursday.

Gray said she is concerned that a deal is in the works where Davila will plead guilty to two counts of premeditated murder and kidnapping in exchange for the Army taking the death penalty off the table. The base's commanding general approved seeking the death penalty in the case in March.

Gray said she has been in touch with prosecutors, who said Davila will have to admit what she did.

Once family members around the country heard what was going to happen, they started sending letters asking to go to trial.

"We said we didn't want a plea bargain," Gray said. "We feel that the death penalty should be on the table. We feel that she shouldn't have the right to choose. If the prosecution offered the plea bargain, that would be one thing, but we know there's enough evidence to convict her."Gray said the prosecution staff has overturned three times in the two years since the incident.

"This is our third set of attorneys," she said. "They keep getting deployed, but it's not their fault. The commanding general is the one who decided to take the plea bargain. It's out of their hands."

She said the family plans to wear two white roses and a dark purple ribbon to symbolize the Millers.

"We're calling it 'Justice for Timmy and Randi,'" she said. They hope to have dark purple ribbons up around town.