Authorities say the Woodland man arrested last week for suspicion of murder killed his longtime tenant and hid the body in a 55-gallon barrel on his rural Old Lewis River Road property.
Ricky Dean Miller, 67, was booked into the Cowlitz County Jail on Wednesday on suspicion of second-degree murder and unlawful disposal of remains.
He reportedly told someone he knew that he killed his 71-year-old tenant on Nov. 28. That person then contacted the Cowlitz County Sheriff's Office on Tuesday to report his alleged confession, court records show.
Miller was being held without bail but had a scheduled hearing on Dec. 22 to review whether the court will set bail.
During his Wednesday hearing in Cowlitz County Superior Court, Judge Thad Scudder also appointed a public defender to represent him.
Arresting documents show Miller's property, located in the 3600 block of Old Lewis River Road and east of the Lewis River Golf Course, has two residences: one where Miller lives and the other where the victim lived for about 24 years ago.
While being interviewed at the Woodland Police Department, Miller said he wanted to evict his tenant because he was mean to him, the report continues.
However, on Nov. 28, Miller said he visited his tenant's home in an attempt to reconcile, but was asked to leave. The victim stood up, pointed for Miller to leave and, with the other hand, grabbed him by his shoulder, causing Miller to stumble but not fall, the report states.
Miller, feeling scared, struck the victim with a wooden walking stick, then remembers his foot on the victim's neck and his hand covering the victim's mouth, he told police in the report.
Miller said he returned two days later to remove the body from the home. Days later, he bought an orange 55-gallon barrel from a feed store in Kelso, placed the body inside and hid the barrel behind the victim's home, arresting documents state.
