Oregon Man Guilty Of Murdering Wives

SALEM, Ore.

Even though there was no direct evidence linking him to the crime and the women's bodies never were found, Gerald Miller has been found guilty of murdering his first and second wives.

The Marion County Circuit Court jury returned its verdict yesterday against the 56-year-old former Harney County rancher and Salem farm mechanic.

Miller was convicted of killing his first wife, Crystal, who disappeared in 1984, and his second wife, Carol, who hasn't been seen since May 1989.

Neither body has been found.

Marion County Deputy District Attorney Dianne Middle said it may be the first case in the country in which someone was convicted without evidence of a corpse, a confession or physical evidence of any kind from a crime scene.

Sentencing was set for April 14.

According to testimony, Miller was the only person known to have had contact with both women just before they disappeared.

He made no real effort to search for either of his wives and told contradictory stories about what might have happened to them.

Todd argued that his client could not be found guilty because there was no direct evidence linking him to the women's disappearance.

At one point, Miller suggested that one of the women had been taken aboard a UFO.