Daughter of murder victim: letter 'meant more than anything'

The daughter of a woman murdered 22 years ago during a robbery believes her mother's killer should never be released from prison.

Trista Miller was 7 months old when her mother, Linda Miller, 25, was shot during a hold-up at a Jackpot convenience store in Orting in 1991.

"It makes me sad," Miller said. "I have a daughter now, she's 9 months old and I can't even imagine her not having me."

Miller said all she knows of her mother is what she has been told by her grandmother, who raised her and other family members.

"That she was a good person," Miller said. "That she would do anything for anybody. That I'm a lot like her, that I look like her."

Ansel Hofstetter was 16 years old when he shot Linda Miller twice in the back of the head. Hofstetter, now 37, bases his motion on a 2012 U.S. Supreme court ruling that called mandatory life sentences for minor unconstitutional.

Hofstetter was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole following his conviction. Miller believes he should not have a chance at freedom.

"It's hard to hear that he might be getting out, or getting out early, rather, when there is supposed to be no chance at all", Miller said. "I want him to stay in jail, personally I think he should. I mean you know what you're doing when you're 16, I knew what I was doing when I was 16."

Miller has also met and become friends with one of the people convicted in connection with her mother's murder.

Olivia Chambliss was 15 years old on the night of the crime. She distracted Linda Miller as she worked inside the convenience store so Hofstetter and co-defendant Dwayne Satterfield, then 19, could ambush and rob her.

But Miller believes Chambliss' claim that she had nothing to do with the murder.

"She didn't know their whole plans on it," Miller said. "She just thought they were robbing the store for alcohol and money and cigarettes and stuff."

Miller now has three tattoos Chambliss designed and tattooed for her: Her child's name on her back and the words "trust" and "love" on either wrist. Miller said she was first contacted by Chambliss several weeks ago through social media.

"She actually contacted me on Facebook and wrote me a long apology note," Miller said. "To me that meant more than anything."

KIRO