Tragedy strikes Joe Miller family, as daughter dies in Fairbanks murder-suicide

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Police in Fairbanks have released the names of two people who died by gunshot, in what appears to be a murder-suicide. One of them is the daughter of Joe and Kathleen Miller of Fairbanks. Joe Miller ran against Lisa Murkowski for U.S. Senate in 2010.

Heath Logan McCloskey, age 32, shot Katy Raye Higgins, age 30, and then turned the gun on himself, the police report says.

Higgins and McCloskey, her fiancé, were found dead Tuesday at McCloskey’s home. An infant and 6-year-old child were found at the apartment, uninjured. The 6-year-old had contacted family after the shooting by using an iPad. Officers arrived at the 200 block of Cushman Street shortly after 2 am.

The children are being cared for by family.

Miller switched his party to Libertarian and ran in 2016 and entered the race for U.S. Senate at the request of the Alaska Libertarian Party.

“Despite being outspent by an enormous margin, Joe won second place in the four-way contest, beating the combined votes of both the Democratic nominee and a well-financed non-affiliated candidate supported behind the scenes by Lisa Murkowski. Notably, Joe won a greater percentage of the vote than any prior Libertarian candidate for federal office in the history of the United States,” he writes on his website, www.joemiller.us.

36 COMMENTS

  1. Why on earth would you use this horrific tragedy of a family to discuss their politics?! What heartless cruelty! For shame Susan Downing! Disgusting. May peace be with all the family’s affected by this tragedy (it’s NOT JUST THE MILLERS!)

  2. This is a horrific tragedy for the Miller’s as well as the family of the McCloskey’s. Those poor children need to be wrapped in love, care, and counseling. This is something they can never “unsee”.

  3. Democrats and Left-wing Commies never miss an opportunity to denounce a Conservative. What a bunch of phonies, posting here at MRAK, when we MRAK followers know full-well that Joe Miller is one of ours. You people have no conscience posting your trashy comments. Kethra Ramert: YOU are trash.
    .
    Thank you, Suzanne for apprising us of our friends, Joe and Kathleen Miller.

  4. Solomon
    Do you know that this site is about? Telling the truth. Yes, it talks about politics.
    Suzanne is a God-fearing women who cares about people. If you, or anyone were at their service, the people would talk about, how they knew that person, or the fun or crazy life they lived. They Laugh and Cry.
    Yes Lisa stole that election too. Now she’s trying to do it again with lies and rank choice voting.
    Solomon get a life. May God bless your little heart too.

  5. The author’s comments were fine. Joe Miller is a relevant political figure and establishing that is a significant part of the story. It’s a good point that there are at minimum two families as well that are feeling the grief of this loss, but Joe is the most famous of those involved and his daughter was the victim, so again, I don’t see how the author portrayed anything poorly here. These are just the facts.

    That said, thoughts and prayers to all involved, regardless of politics, is I’m sure how the author feels and 99% of those who’ve read or heard this story; the other 1% being the sub human trolls that we all encounter from time to time and whom no one listens to anyway.

  6. Reporting the news and providing context of the people involved is not exploitation of a tragedy. Had the background not been provided the comments would instead be “so what?” and “why are you reporting this?”

    Those of you slamming the inclusion of the political background of Miller are simply trashing a news site that doesn’t conform to your Marxist ideology. I’d tell you to have a nice day but your ilk are the most willfully miserable humans in the galaxy, so such wishes only provoke you to more anger.

  7. Lawrence,
    You don’t think that it somehow matters that Joe Miller’s kid was murdered and that other kid who died was the murderer? He will be biting for the rest of eternity so maybe we shouldn’t feel bad about him.

  8. Ramert/Loosli
    The information about Miller is called context. I’ll bet you don’t get upset when ADN & KTUU go into the gory details of Senator Stevens framing by the FBI on each and every one of his birthdays. Selective outrage is a hallmark of lefty loons.
    If you don’t like Susan’s great reporting just delete the website.

  9. An interesting detail I pulled out of this story. There are no apartments or other residences on the 200 block of Cushman Street. However, Joe Miller’s law office is/was located in the old Federal Building at 250 Cushman. Was this a typo or misunderstanding, or does it reveal something ?

  10. To Soloman Loosi: Anger only destroys the container it is in. Your comments are best left unsaid.
    My thoughts and prayers to the Miller Family.

  11. Democrats are pure, unadulterated trash. The nerve, coming on this site and bringing your sh*t. You are the people who voted against Joe Miller. You are Lisa Murkowski trash hustlers and baiters. Go clean-out your barns and your outhouses. Do something useful with your miserable lives. Here, we love Joe and Kathleen Miller. God bless them and their entire family. RIP, Katy Rae.

  12. Our condolences to both families. What a tragedy for all and those sweet innocent children having to witness this violence act. I was thankful the young six year old knew how to contact other family members for help.
    May God bring healing, comfort & love to all the family & friends, you will continue to be in my prayers.

    Let our hearts come together for these families who have both lost a loved one. They are hurting, they need to know we care and are praying for them just as we do for anyone who has lost someone.

    KAT

  13. Peace and compassion to all the families involved. I pray love ? a healing to those two little children.

  14. Solo, wow, on your first post you slam the owner. Why bother? Are you so unhappy in your own skin that you have to slander others? Or,
    Are you 10 years old and are just repeating what your dad said?

  15. My condolences to the Miller family. Suzanne…I think this article would have best been served without the last two paragraphs…they really don’t have anything to do with the tragedy being reported.

  16. Wrong, Karen. There are newcomers to the state and to politics. Suzanne is providing background information on the Miller family and their love for freedom, conservatism, and the MRAK family. You probably aren’t one.
    .
    Joe Miller beat Lisa Murkowski in 2010 in a US Senate primary. The news media, Democrats, and Left-wingers never stopped the lying about Miller and his family until they made sure Lisa Murkowski won a write-in contest of dubious procedures and fairness.
    And the Miller family has been under constant threat and intimidation since 2010. You would have to walk in their shoes to know what they’ve gone through. They are a lovely family.

  17. This is heartbreaking news for such a loving family and wonderful family. May God bless you all.

  18. Kathleen Miller and our family go back a very LONG way. We have loved Kathleen and her Mother, Teresa. We have kept in touch though many miles separate us. We are heartbroken for this whole family: Joe and Kathleen and all their children and grandparents. Our prayers are with them this evening and in the coming days. We do not know the McCloskey family, but when tragedies hit, all family members and friends are traumatized and remain in grief for a long time. Their personal faith will carry them throughout.
    May the peace of Jesus and many prayerful wishes for the entire Miller family in the coming days be showered upon them all.

  19. Although this is the biggest state in the Union, when things like this happen it becomes very small. We are all connected, sometimes much closer than we realize.

    God, bless and hold this family close.

  20. My heartfelt prayers go out to all family members involved and those kids need all the love that can be brought to bear. This type of tragedy seems way too common these days, people’s spirits have been darkened. We need the light of Christ and truth to guide our paths.

  21. Absolutely sickening to see how pathetic so many people are… on both sides… don’t pretend you are better because you call someone on the left or right. It really shows how the Alaskan community is to one another and honestly, it’s sad – and you probably judge CA… seems the BS is about the same if not even more judgemental and sad out there.

    This is heartbreaking for all involved. This isn’t about politics. It’s about 2 beautiful souls leaving this earth and how we should send our best to the loved ones… not our worst – even if you support the Miller family, do you really believe your worst to another person is helping them? It helps you and it helps you feel important – how about be a good neighbor for once and just do unto the other what you would like done to you? It’s really not hard but these comments left me pretty shocked… not about the event, but about the people who had anything to say other than thoughts and prayers. Both sides. You are sick and you are not better than anyone. Be part of the solution and quite being part of the problem. This was just sad, sad, sad to read.

    Thank you to all those wonderful comments who have empathy and a deep sympathy for all involved – you are the real leaders and I don’t care your politics – I’d meet you for a drink anywhere!

  22. @DS:
    Wow, that was the most convoluted, attempted political spin I’ve seen in these comments. You apparently don’t know Joe and Kathleen Miller like we do at MRAK. Joe and Kathleen are wonderful Conservatives and freedom lovers. They get it! Not sure if you do, though.

  23. @ChrissyB and I truly do not understand how your freedom loving, conservative views found anything political with someone trying to reflect on a murder, speak peace and calm, with literally the only political sentiment being against both sides. You judge by a cover. You don’t judge by substance. I am a Republican, and your ignorance just bleeds through at how you treat anyone who says a simple word you don’t understand or that riles your little feathers.

    It’s honestly hilarious and you’ve turned this comment section into a sad bickering feed, instead of honoring the Millers like so many tried – that’s on you!

    Congrats, I am sure the Millers will be so proud to hear you support their politics, especially on their murdered daughters news page……… ? it truly is shocking, sad, and sickening – politics and fear truly run this country… screw humanity!

  24. So tragic. My heart is breaking for those little boys, and for their family.

    The comments on this are sad. Yes, the news article shouldn’t have been so much about politics. Lives were taken. A beautiful mama who cherished her sons. That should be the only important news. Praying for those sweet boys and their loved ones.

Comments are closed.