A North Carolina prosecutor for Mecklenburg County revealed new graphic details of the murder of a woman in an east Charlotte apartment complex on Sunday.
The victim, 35-year-old Laura Miller, was found dead at the scene surrounded by three crosses made from pieces of a broken table found in the apartment.
The suspect, 36-year-old Miguel Gonzales-Rasalas faces three charges including first-degree murder, theft of a motor vehicle, and destroying remains/concealing death. Police believe the man and the victim knew each other and that it was not a random incident.
The prosecutor said police responded to a 911 call made by Jose Gonzales, the brother of the suspect, reporting a dead female located inside an apartment. Police then located Gonzales-Rasalas driving Miller’s vehicle and arrested him.
Police arrived at the apartment and found a gruesome scene, according to the prosecutor.
Miller’s ankles were bound by a cable and there were multiple wires wrapped around her neck. She also suffered from a laceration starting at her neck and running to her belly button.
Miller also had extensive damage to her face and head ‘to the point it was unrecognizable,’ the prosecutor told the judge. Police observed a broken table in the apartment and three crosses made from the pieces of the table surrounding Miller’s body, according to the prosecutor. Miller also had burns on both inner thighs, and salt was poured around her and the room.
Human tissue was reportedly found ‘scattered’ throughout the apartment and Miller’s tongue was found in the dining room the prosecutor said.
Neighbors said there was blood on the floor outside of the apartment, and the prosecutor said that blood had seeped out the door and down to the floor below.
Gonzales-Rasalas received a court-appointed attorney on Tuesday but told the judge he would like to represent himself in upcoming court dates. Judge Matthew Newton did not set a bond for Gonzales-Rasalas. He has two upcoming court dates, April 19 and May 1, 2023.
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