Admitted April Tinsley killer pleads guilty in court

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (Fort Wayne’s NBC) - John Dale Miller of Grabill, accused of brutally raping and killing young April Tinsley in 1988– one of Fort Wayne’s most known cold cases — pleaded guilty in court Friday.

John D. Miller, 59, was arrested on Sunday, July 15, in connection to the kidnapping, rape and murder of 8-year-old April Tinsley in 1988.

Miller is accused of kidnapping April Tinsley and taking her to his mobile home in Grabill, where he said he sexually assaulted, then suffocated her before dumping her body in a DeKalb County ditch.

Over the years, April’s killer appeared to taunt authorities, scrawling on a barn in 1990 that he killed her, and would kill again.

In 2004, police believe he put threatening notes on girls’ bicycles along with other clues that contained his DNA.

DNA evidence linked to an open genealogy database narrowed the suspect search to John D. Miller of Grabill.

He was initially in court for a change of venue hearing.

In court on Friday, his defense team submitted his guilty plea to murder and child molesting.

He read a prepared statement in court and spoke in a strong voice as he read from his papers.

April Tinsley’s mother, Janet Tinsley, was sitting in the courtroom and broke

down in tears when Miller described what he had done to her daughter.

Fort Wayne’s NBC reached out to April’s father, Michael Tinsley, who is unhappy with the development in the case.

He declined to go on camera with Fort Wayne’s NBC, but said through a Facebook message: “There was no justice for April. The bleeding hearts don’t want to punish criminals anymore.”

If the judge accepts the plea, he could spend 80 years behind bars.

He will be sentenced on Dec. 31 at 1:30 p.m.