Tabor City tribune. (Tabor City, N.C.) 1946-1991, 1959-11-25

witnessed. The two men and an
other went to the area, and &C
cording to Granger. when he
looked closely into the blacksn.
ed mass, he knew that it was
the remains of a man, even
though the legs, and arms of the
human were missing.
They went immediately to
Horny County police and report
ed it.
Horny County Police officer
Willis Cause. next to testify.
said that he contacted Columbus
County authorities immediately
after the report. as he had been
told by Soles and Granger that
the death-car was in North Car
olina.
Following the arrival of Sher-
iff Ben Duke, Bureau of Investi-
CATION Chief Horace Shaw, Hor-
ry County Police Chief Lee
johnson, Soles and Granger di-
rected them to the wooded site.
Frank Tyler was found and
placed under arrest, as were his
brother Howard Tyler, and link
Hewett. (Hewett resides in the
two-story house mentioned pre-
,viously.)
link Hewett confessed that he
was in the automobile with Mil
Ter, the Tyler brothers, and his
son Carl Lee Hewlett. Is. when
the shooting of Miller transpir-
ed on Nov. 6.
: The five men-according to
the elder Hewett-went that
afternoon to State Line anC
bought some whiSkey. Later
while Miller was at the whee,
and others were drinking, he
stopped the car to take a drink
himself. The vehicle was stop
ped about 200 yards inside the
S. c. line.
Chief Lee Johnson quoted III,
Hewett boy as saying that wher
Miller placed the bottle to hi.
lips to drink, Frank Tyler took
the rifle from his lap and fired
the load into Miller's head.
\ DIR. W. II. Johnson, Loris pIy-
stefan who performed the autuu-
sy and took x-rayS Of &c q,
.ceased'S head, aSccrtained that
there was evidence that metal
fragments were inside.
According to officer Cause
link Hcwctt acknowledged that
Everybody fled from the car aft
Ter the shooting except Frank
|Iylcr. The ceased pulse of Mil
Her confirmed his death.
Tyler was then described by
tho witness as having crankcc
the car, aftcrwhich ne drov,
away. later to return asking foI
someone 10 help him dispose OF
the bIdy. link Hcwett joincc
link Hewett joined Frank Tyl.
er III the automobile and ttht
two drove TO Hezekiah Porter:
house and secured a5-gallon car
OF Kerosene. The car was ther
driven into the wooded area
where II was later discovered.
link Hewett confessed L
Chief Johnson that he viewed
=. FRANK Tyler pour the liquid il
the car and over the BODY OF
Miller. but the oil would no
burn. Tyler then backed of
from the rear of the vehicle
fired shotgun blasts into the gas
tank resulting in ignition OF tn,
vehicle.
! In his SisSed confession mad,
before @ johnson. Frank
Tyler Staesa that he later went
to a Tabor City store and bought
a shirt, pair of trousers, and
pair of shoes and changed into
the garment while in the store
The shirt and trousers were lat
|cr burned as were link Hew-
let's coveralls.
/ On the following morning -
per Carl Lee Hewlett's signed
statcment-the l6-ycar old boy
and Frank Tyler, driven by Mrs.
Hewe.t in her vehicle, disposed
of the rifle and two shotsuns,
one of which has never been re-
covered by authorities. Carl Lee
admitted throwing the weapons
over embankment into warter
while the car was i'm motion.
i The dead mans wallet. ac-
cording to the confession OF the
younger Hcwett. had been saw
cd. and its S2-content wa,
equally divided between Franz
Tyler and himself.
!, Owner Of the burned automo
pile was another Wilmington
ian, Paul Barber. who was a
the Hcwctt home during the aft
ernoon of Miller's death. Mile
and Barber had give as thei
: reason for being in the area a
!, ga hunting trip"
i After very Dried priod O
deiiberation the coroner's iur
}, ruled that Miller met his dealt
at the hands of Frank Tyler