Matthew Russell Brown, 66, was arrested and made his first court appearance on July 24, 2023 for the July 19, 1984 murder of 33-year-old Robert Miller in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Miller was stabbed to death in his apartment on Girard Avenue South. He was killed by numerous stab wounds to his face, head, and upper body.
Two women who were in the apartment with Miller managed to escape. They stated that an unknown intruder had broken in and stabbed Miller. One of the women was also injured in the attack, and bleeding from her face.
A DNA profile of the suspect was developed in 2018 from blood located at the crime scene. The blood was recovered from the back exit of the apartment, the floor, and the door handle of the back exit.
The FGG investigation was conducted by Barbara Rae-Venter in partnership with the Minneapolis Police Department and the FBI’s cold case task force. The initial confirmation was made by surreptitious sampling of a disposable plastic cup that Brown had discarded.
Brown is facing charges of burglary and second-degree murder in Hennepin County District Court. It has been reported that he was for many years a security counsellor with the Minnesota Sex Offender Program.
Sources:
Chaloux, Eric, and Ben Henry. “Man Charged in 39-Year-Old Minneapolis Cold Case Makes First Court Appearance.” ABC News 75, July 24, 2023. Accessed July 26, 2023. https://kstp.com/kstp-news/top-news/man-charged-in-39-year-old-minneapolis-cold-case/.
Lovrien, Jimmy. “Former Moose Lake Security Counsellor Charged in 1984 Homicide.” Duluth News Tribune, July 26, 2023. Accessed July 26, 2023. https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/minnesota/former-moose-lake-security-counselor-charged-in-1984-homicide.
Murphy, Esme. “Investigators Reveal How They Tracked Down 1984 Minneapolis Cold Case Murder Suspect Matthew Russell Brown.” CBS News, July 24, 2023. Accessed July 26, 2023. https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/minneapolis-police-reveal-how-they-tracked-down-1984-cold-case-murder-suspect-matthew-russell-brown/.