Nimrod Johnson Miller was a Texan sheriff who disappared near Caddo, Oklahoma on September 1, 1881 while tracking down a fugitive. He is believed to have been murdered by a group of criminals.
Background[]
Nimrod Miller was born the seventh son to farmers Benjamin and Polly Miller in Georgia in 1844. When he was 20, Nimrod enlisted in the 18th Georgia Regiment of the Confederate Army and particpated in major battles such as Yorktown and Gettysburg.
After being captured and released by the Union Army, he moved to Texas. At some point in his life, he married his wife, Pollie, and together they had seven children. Prior to his disappearance, Nimrod served the Burnet County Sheriff's Office for four years.
Disappearance[]
Nimrod left Burnet County, Texas on August 26, 1881 to track down a man named W.P. Brown who was last seen at Paul's Valley, Oklahoma. Brown was wanted for a murder that occurred in Burnet County in February 1876. Nimrod travelled to Austin, Texas where he was robbed, but he recovered his money afterward. On August 30th, he left Sherman, Texas and was reported to be in Dennison, Texas on September 1. He was last seen that day in Caddo, Oklahoma purchasing a horse to travel to Paul's Valley. He was not seen or heard from again after that.
Shortly after Nimrod's disappearance, his nephew, Deputy Sheriff L.J. Conner of Burnet County, commenced a search. While he was able to retrace his uncle's steps, he was unable to locate him or learn what had happened.
In August 1882, a prisoner at Fort Smith, Arkansas named Sam Paul confessed to witnessing Nimrod's death. Paul stated that a group of criminals led by Sam S. Wood shot Nimrod with an arrow and beaten him to death while he was down. Current sources do not indicate if Brown was involved in his death, nor do they indicate if any of the men were arrested and charged with his murder.
According to the Doe Network, his fingerprints, dental information, and DNA are not available. His case is presumably not being investigated due to the passage of time.
Media[]
Nimrod Miller's life is explored and described in a book called The Mighty Hunter that was published on February 29, 2016. It was written by a descendent of his named William Perrin.
Sources[]
Footnotes[]
- ↑ In 1881, Oklahoma was referred to as "Indian Territory." It did not become a state until November 16, 1907.