Devon Sample Convicted of All Charges for Murder of Mother, Her Three-Year-Old Daughter, and Her Unborn Child

Baltimore, Md. (August 1, 2023) - Today, State’s Attorney Ivan J. Bates announced that Devon Sample was convicted on all counts for the murders of Shiand Miller, her three-year-old daughter Shaniya Gilmore, and Ms. Miller’s unborn child. The judge imposed the maximum sentence of three consecutive Life sentences, without the possibility of parole, plus 70 more years. Sample was convicted of the following offenses:

First Degree Murder (three counts)
Use of a Firearm in a Crime of Violence (three counts)
Crime of Violence Against a Pregnant Woman

Homicide Division Chief Michael J. Dunty prosecuted this case.

“The vile actions of this defendant deserved nothing less than the maximum penalty possible under the law. The trauma endured by this family is unimaginable,” said State’s Attorney Ivan J. Bates. “I applaud the outstanding work done by Baltimore Police Department Detectives and thank my Homicide Division Chief for ensuring that this perpetrator of heinous violence never returns to our community again. As always, our thoughts and prayers are with the Miller family, and we hope this conviction brings some measure of justice and closure.”

In the afternoon of June 19, 2020, Baltimore Police were called to the 200 block of Boswell Avenue for a report of a non-responsive female in the driver’s seat of a car. Officers located a Subaru parked behind a large truck where they found Shiand Miller, who was in the driver’s seat, suffering from two gunshot wounds, and Shaniya Gilmore, a three-year-old girl, located lying on the center console between the seats, appearing that she had attempted to move from the back seat area to the front seat area. She was suffering from what appeared to be two gunshot wounds. Both victims were deceased at the scene, and further investigation determined that Ms. Miller was eight months pregnant at the time.

Two casings were located on the roadway outside the driver’s door, and one casing was found in the car’s back seat, just under the foot of Shaniya. During the course of the investigation, it was determined that the defendant, Devon Sample, was the boyfriend of Shiand and the father of her soon-to-be-born baby boy.

During an interview with police, Mr. Sample stated that on the evening of June 18, 2020, he was driving his vehicle on Boswell Road, and the victim was in her car following him. They both pulled over just behind a large truck. He got out of his car and got into the passenger seat of her car to “chill and talk.” He further stated that he got back into his vehicle and left the area. He said the victim was still in her car and was supposed to leave. He claimed he didn’t know where she went.

Police recovered a video from a nearby home that showed a dark-colored SUV, and the victim’s car pull to the side of the road, mostly behind trees. A figure could be seen going from the driver’s side of the victim’s car to the passenger side, appearing to get in and out of the passenger side of her car. At one point, what appears to be a muzzle flash can be seen from inside the car. Moments later, a muzzle flash can be seen at the driver’s side door of the victim’s car. Approximately 42 seconds later, the dark SUV left the area. Individuals in the neighborhood heard gunshots around when the video showed the muzzle flashes. No 911 call was placed.

An autopsy of the victims determined that both had suffered multiple gunshot wounds. Shiand Miller suffered three gunshot wounds, including a contact wound to the back of her neck, and Shaniya Gilmore suffered two gunshot wounds. Police processed both the victim’s car and the defendant’s car. They located additional firearms evidence inside the victim’s car, including one cartridge casing under the child seat, one projectile from within the driver’s seat, and one projectile from within the front passenger seat. Mr. Sample’s latent prints were also found on his vehicle and the victim’s car.

Ms. Shiand Miller visited her doctor on June 15, 2020, for a routine checkup when her fetus was 32 weeks old and was viable at the time.

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