COLUMBUS, Ohio — Authorities have revealed that a man shot and killed last month during an attempt to serve him with federal firearm charges has been identified as the murderer of an 18-year-old woman from Ohio, a case that remained unresolved for 43 years. The announcement was made by police on Monday.
Mansfield Police Chief Jason Bammann explained that the cold case involving Debra Lee Miller, a waitress who was brutally killed in her apartment with an oven grate on April 29, 1981, was reopened in 2021. This was made possible by recent advancements in DNA analysis and forensic methods.
“This case was reinvestigated as if it had occurred recently, approached from a completely new perspective,” Bammann stated during a news conference. “The results were astonishing.”
The investigation uncovered a “firm DNA profile” belonging to James Vanest, who was 26 years old and lived above Miller at the time of her death. Although Vanest was questioned a few times during the original investigation, he was not identified as a suspect, which was later cast under a shadow of allegations regarding potential police misconduct.
Miller’s murder is one of several suspicious deaths in the Mansfield area during the 1980s that drew scrutiny regarding possible links to local police officers. A special inquiry mandated by the mayor in 1989 found no evidence implicating officers in those deaths, although the report did highlight concerns about alleged sexual relationships between police personnel and Miller, as well as issues surrounding some homicide investigations. It was noted that Miller had recorded in her diary her sexual involvement with various Mansfield police officers.
Following various investigations over the years, Miller’s case saw renewed interest by Richland County Prosecutor Jodie Schumacher. She indicated that the DNA evidence against Vanest was compelling enough to prepare a case to present to a grand jury. However, the case was never finalized.
In November 2021, law enforcement located Vanest in Canton, roughly 100 miles from Mansfield, and re-interviewed him about Miller’s murder. During this round of questioning, he admitted to having lied during his initial interviews back in 1981, and detectives began to suspect he was attempting to construct an alibi for his DNA being found in Miller’s apartment, according to Bammann.
Detective Terry Butler sought another interview with Vanest in the spring of 2024, but he declined and requested legal representation. Subsequently, Vanest sold his home in Canton, purchased a truck and trailer, and fled to West Virginia, leaving behind multiple firearms at his previous residence. He was later apprehended in West Virginia with additional weapons and was initially charged at the state level before being released on bond.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives subsequently assumed jurisdiction of his case and ultimately indicted him on federal firearm offenses. On November 18, U.S. Marshals and members of a local SWAT team attempted to serve Vanest with these charges at a motel in North Canton where he had taken refuge.
“Reports indicate that when approached by law enforcement, Mr. Vanest drew a weapon on them and barricaded himself inside the motel,” Bammann detailed. “After a brief exchange of gunfire, a SWAT officer was shot in the arm, and Mr. Vanest was killed.”
Chief Bammann stated that the department considers the investigation resolved and expressed hope that announcing the identity of Miller’s killer will provide some sense of closure for her family. Detective Butler remarked on the significance of being able to solve a case that occurred when he was merely ten years old, saying, “It is a testament to our commitment; we persevere and continue our efforts to uncover the truth.”
