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"48 Hours" investigates: "Unmasking the Zombie Hunter"

October 20, 2023 / 04:28

This episode of 48 Hours covers a decades-old murder case in Phoenix, Arizona, involving the unsolved murders of two young women and the eventual identification of a suspect known as the "zombie hunter." The report features insights from True Crime reporter Brianna Whitney and detective Clark Schwarzkoff.

The episode details the murders of 21-year-old Angela Braso in November 1992 and 17-year-old Melanie Bernus ten months later. Both victims were attacked while riding their bicycles along a canal, and DNA evidence linked the two cases.

After years of investigation with over 600 persons of interest, authorities focused on Brian Patrick Miller, a local celebrity known for his zombie hunter persona. Detective Schwarzkoff discusses the initial skepticism about Miller's involvement, given his role as a father.

The breakthrough came when a genetic genealogist identified Miller through DNA evidence. The episode describes how investigators lured him to a restaurant to collect his DNA, which confirmed him as the suspect.

Peter Vanzant reports on the chilling details of Miller's alter ego and the community's shock at discovering the man behind the mask. The episode promises to reveal more about Miller's claims of having no memory of the crimes.

TLDR

A decades-old murder case in Phoenix leads to suspect Brian Patrick Miller, known as the "zombie hunter," identified through genetic genealogy.

Episode

4:28
00:00:00
this week's 48 Hours reports on a decades old murder case that eventually LED investigators to a man known as the
00:00:06
zombie hunter in the 1990s two young women were murdered while riding their bikes in Phoenix Arizona their cases
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remain unsolved for decades then using genetic genealogy investigators narrowed it to a suspect a local celebrity who
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was known for dressing like a zombie hunter here's a look at Peter vanzant's Report there are not many crimes that
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are like this one you had women riding bicycles along the canal on a typical Phoenix evening ambushed stabbed
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multiple times Brianna Whitney the True Crime reporter for the CBS affiliate kph
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in Phoenix says the first victim was 21-year-old Angela braso whose body was found in November
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1992 police are looking at the scene and thinking what on Earth happened and who
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did this 10 months later the body of 17-year-old high school student Melanie bernus was found in one of the city's
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canals investigators found the same DNA at both scenes but had no match says detective Clark schwarzkoff I think
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there was over 600 Persons of Interest after some 20 years investigators zeroed in on 42-year-old Brian Patrick Miller a
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divorced father raising his teenage daughter I'm seeing him with his daughter I just don't see
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this guy as being the monster in 1992 and 93 that would do this to these women but as schwarzkoff soon learned Miller
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had a unique Alter Ego everybody in the Phoenix area knew Brian Patrick Miller as this character called the zombie
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hunter the zombie hunter the zombie hunter like a comic book character yeah like a comic book character Miller
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dressed in a homemade costume and drove a tricked out former police car people wanted to take pictures with him
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including Law Enforcement Officers Schwarz cof was skeptical but the detective secured Miller's DNA days
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later the head of the forensic lab had some news she leans down to me she goes it's him and I go what she goes Brian
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Miller it's him it was like he was hiding in playing sight h wow Peter vand joins us right now uh so
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how did they zero in on him as the suspect the main suspect so the Cold Case unit came up with the name Miller
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when they looked through all of these files and they brought in a genetic genealogist and they had the DNA of the
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murderer that genealogist took this DNA and did the magic that they do these days and ended up coming up with six
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names of people who lived in the southwest of the United States who had the last name Miller one of them was
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Brian Miller who lived in Phoenix and so they do an undercover operation they lure him to a Chili's restaurant offer
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him a a burger and something to drink takes a sip from the glass they have the DNA from that it goes off to the lab
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some days later it comes back and it's the man who is the zombie hunter known all throughout Phoenix living out in the
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open and even the cops liked him there's pictures we have all these pictures of cops with him they had no idea who they
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were standing next to I'm always Blown Away Peter when you see people who do do this who have daughters of their own
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there's a part of me that just thinks you have a little girl you just couldn't possibly do that to another woman that
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always surprises me but why did he dress up as that zombie hunter dude and in the
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first place what was he doing he was a horror film fanatic all his friends that's what they did is they watched
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these these kinds of films and he became a zombie this was 21 years after the murders what do zombies do they're the
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undead they are relentlessly violent I don't know what they are they're relentlessly violent and I think there
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was something about that that that made become this character but I mean people who had seen
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this car driving all over town not realizing it was a killer I'm curious to hear what he has to say now Bri yeah and
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that's oh he claims he has no memory of any abuse that's why we should tune in you can see Peter this whole report
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unmasking the zombie hunter on 48 hours tomorrow night at 109 Central here on CDs and streaming on Paramount Plus

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  • 70
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Episode Highlights

  • Unmasking the Zombie Hunter
    A decades-old murder case leads investigators to a local celebrity known as the 'zombie hunter.'
    “It was like he was hiding in plain sight.”
    @ 02m 26s
    October 20, 2023

Episode Quotes

  • It was like he was hiding in plain sight.
    "48 Hours" investigates: "Unmasking the Zombie Hunter"
  • You have a little girl; you just couldn't possibly do that to another woman.
    "48 Hours" investigates: "Unmasking the Zombie Hunter"

Key Moments

  • Decades-Old Mystery00:02
  • Genetic Breakthrough00:15
  • The Zombie Hunter01:49
  • Undercover Operation03:00
  • Surprising Dual Life03:26

Words per Minute Over Time

Vibes Breakdown