‘Not a safe person’: Ex-boyfriend accused of moving woman’s body, sending texts from her phone

GILBERT, Ariz. (AZFamily/Gray News) — A death investigation is underway after the body of a mother of three was found inside her Arizona home last weekend.

Cindy Miller’s ex-boyfriend now faces charges of concealing a dead body, burglary and trafficking stolen property.

Kristopher Lauchner was in court for an initial appearance, where he was accused of moving Miller’s body from the location where she died to her home, driving her car, pawning her jewelry and sending text messages from her phone to keep her family from worrying.

Welfare check leads to discovery

Gilbert police were called to Miller’s home Saturday after her daughter, Jacquie, reached out with concerns. Officers conducted a welfare check and found Miller’s body inside the home, along with evidence that some items were missing.

The daughter, who is set to be married in less than a month, said she had last seen her mother a few days earlier when Miller traveled to Flagstaff for a final dress fitting.

License plate readers aided investigation

Authorities said license plate reader technology helped investigators track Miller’s car and determine it was being used by Lauchner in the days surrounding her death.

Court records show Lauchner was barred from having any contact with Miller as a condition of his pretrial release on a domestic violence case involving her.

Courtroom reaction

During the initial appearance, Lauchner appeared to grin as Miller’s boyfriend, Charlie Mills, addressed the court.

“Kristopher is definitely a menace to society. He is totally responsible for her death,” Mills alleged.

The judge intervened, telling Lauchner to control himself while victims were making their statements.

Miller’s daughter also addressed the court.

“He’s hurt my family beyond belief and has manipulated every situation that he’s ever been in,” she said. “He’s not a safe person. He’s a dangerous, dangerous person.”

Neighbor Pete Garcia reacted to the allegations that Lauchner transported the body.

“That’s really kind of creepy, and to think that he says he carried the body in,” Garcia said.

Investigators said they are continuing to look into how Miller died. The case remains an active death investigation.

“Everybody is devastated, and we lost somebody who we should not have lost,” Mills added.