In the case of Adam Elijah Miller, Canal Township Justice Court Judge Lori Matheus entered seventy evidentiary exhibits into the record and heard extensive preliminary hearing testimony on March 5, 2026. After an hour and a half of testimony, the defense waived the remainder of the preliminary hearing despite the hearing having been allotted two full days on the calendar. The case was then bound over to Lyon County’s Second Judicial District Court.
It is during these hearings that much of the evidence supporting an arrest warrant is presented. This evidence is rarely addressed again in open court unless the defendant pleads not guilty and the case proceeds to trial. These details can shed light on less publicized aspects of a case and provide insight into what victims, defendants, and responding law enforcement officers experienced.
Based solely on the evidence presented, judges consider two primary factors: whether a crime was committed and whether the defendant likely committed it.
Adam Miller was 19 when he was arrested for the alleged fatal stabbing of his father, Lance, and the near-fatal stabbing of his mother, Elizabeth, on Dec. 18, 2024, in Fernley. The hearing consisted largely of testimony from Elizabeth, who was present during the incident and sustained injuries herself.
Additionally, a deputy with the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office testified regarding the response to the scene and events that followed.
Miller is charged with Open Murder with the Use of a Deadly Weapon, a Category A Felony punishable by death, life in prison, 20 years to life, or 50 years with parole eligibility after 20 years; Attempted Murder; Battery with a Deadly Weapon with Substantial Bodily Harm to a Victim 60 Years of Age or Older; and a misdemeanor charge of Destroying or Concealing Evidence.
Elizabeth testified that she and her husband had lived in the Farm District Road home for 22 years. Their only son, Miller, also lived on the property in a separate apartment space.
She provided the most direct account of what occurred inside the home, though she repeatedly told the court her memory of the incident is fragmented.
“I remember very little about that time,” Elizabeth said. “It’s gone. It’s gone.”
She testified law enforcement had been called to the home multiple times in December 2024, describing the Dec. 18 incident as the fourth contact that month.
On the morning in question, she and Lance were in their home office when events unfolded rapidly. “I didn’t understand what was happening,” she testified. “I just remember Lance falling… and he was saying call 911,” which she said were her husband’s final words.
Elizabeth said she did not initially recognize what was happening as an attack. “I didn’t get it until Lance was falling down,” she said. “I didn’t understand because… it was just an ordinary morning.”
She testified that her recollection begins only after her husband was already collapsing. She recalled addressing Miller during the incident. “I said, you’re hurting us… and it was as if something went off in his head and he just stopped everything… and dialed 911.”
Elizabeth testified she does not remember seeing a weapon. “I don’t remember seeing a knife,” she said. “I think I just supposed there was one.”
She described the scene as chaotic. “There was so much blood,” she said. “I knew from his face that I was losing him.”
Elizabeth, who has experience as an ER nurse, attempted lifesaving measures. “I was just doing everything I could.”
She sustained injuries to her neck, shoulder, and wrist, but she does not remember how they occurred. “They said I was on the ground. I don’t remember being on the ground.”
Elizabeth testified she spent three days in the ICU and four days hospitalized for psychological trauma. “I was told after the fact … I was saying it should have been me.”
She described Dec. 18 as “the worst day of my life,” and said her memory of the weeks following is limited. “I don’t remember that first… month,” she testified. “I think I was going through the motions… I just don’t remember even being alive.”
Throughout her testimony, she emphasized that her understanding is incomplete. “I didn’t know what I was seeing,” she said. “I had to piece things together.”
When asked directly whether she saw Miller attack her husband, she said, “I can’t answer that yes or no.”
During cross-examination, Elizabeth acknowledged escalating tensions in the home leading up to the incident. “I always loved my son, but this was getting… out of hand,” she said. “We were scared.” She described his behavior as deteriorating. “He was unraveling before our eyes, and we didn’t get it.”
She also acknowledged making threatening statements during prior conflicts. “I don’t remember,” she said, adding, “I could have said something like that.”
Elizabeth confirmed writing notes to Miller, including “do not come upstairs” and “the answer is no,” explaining, “That is mommy trying to take control.”
Deputy Arsenio Reyes of the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office testified he was the first responding officer.
He said the initial dispatch reported “a female that sustained… a cut on her neck,” but was updated while he was en route. “It was confirmed [as] a stabbing.”
He said the update changed his approach. “More vigilant… more aware of possible dangers in the house,” Reyes said.
Reyes also testified he was familiar with the residence. “I responded there… two or three times for domestic disturbance,” he said, noting prior involvement with the family through juvenile probation.
He described the initial information as limited. “It was vague,” he said, before confirming it was upgraded to a stabbing prior to arrival.
The court also heard two 911 calls placed immediately after the incident, including one from someone who is believed to be Miller, in which the caller said, “My mom’s bleeding currently… she’s bleeding from her neck,” and moments later: “She’s been stabbed! She’s been stabbed!”
Following a short break, Adam Miller’s attorney, Christopher Robert Day, announced, “After consultation with my client, … it's his desire to waive the remainder of his preliminary hearing.” Miller also requested a transcript of the testimony already provided.
The case was waived up to the District Court. Miller remains in custody at the Lyon County Jail on a no-bail hold.
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