Madera County Sheriff’s Office via Recently Booked; Mega
A $3,200 lottery win allegedly sparked a bitter dispute between an Oregon couple, ending with one person facing serious criminal charges.
Mary Ann McKinzy, 55, has been charged with second-degree murder, first-degree assault, and negligent homicide in connection with the 2025 death of her partner, James S. Miller, according to an official release from Portland police.
U.S. Marshals arrested McKinzy in Bakersfield, California, on August 5, and she was extradited to Multnomah County on Friday, September 18, according to the authorities.
Miller, 75, had won $3,200 playing the lottery while the two were in a relationship, prosecutors said in court documents cited by the outlet. Miller shared $1,700 of his lottery winnings with McKinzy, but later accused her of taking an additional $800, Law&Crime reported on September 24.
The incident unfolded on November 28, 2025. Miller went with a friend to the Candalaria Plaza Apartments in Portland’s Centennial neighborhood, where McKinzy lived, to confront her about the missing money, NBC affiliate KGW reported.
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The friend told police he heard Miller tell McKinzy to “open the door or I’m going to bust the window open,” per the outlet.
Police said Miller then asked his friend to block McKinzy’s vehicle so she could not leave. Surveillance footage allegedly showed Miller damaging her tires with a knife. McKinzy then allegedly reversed her car over Miller, according to OregonLive.
When his friend told her to move the vehicle, she reportedly responded that Miller was “trying to kill” her before driving away.
Police later said Miller suffered fatal blunt-force trauma.
Investigators found McKinzy’s vehicle at a tire shop, where they recovered evidence they said connected it to the scene, including hubcaps matching one found at the crash site, according to Oregon Live.
McKinzy has not yet entered a plea. She remains in custody at the Multnomah County Detention Center, and her next court appearance is scheduled for September 29.