Miller's death is a mystery four years later. The medical examiner's office speculated that it might be a case of the rare Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome. The office could identify only one other possible case -- on June 8, 1997, Maxwell Dennis Hames, 41, died under nearly identical circumstances, the office said.
Hames was a technical investigator for the Oklahoma City Police Department who received -- sit down for this one -- special recognition for his work on the Alfred P. Murrah bombing case.
Miller turned over to the FBI on Aug. 5, 1997, 165 tape-recordings of conversations he had with the Lums and their associates. He was interviewed by the congressional committee staff Aug. 12. On Sept. 2, the committee subpoenaed documents from Miller concerning Brown, the Lums and Dynamic Energy Resources.
Three days later, the committee deposed McLarty. He denied knowing the Lums, and questions about ARKLA and its convicted lobbyist were largely diverted by his attorneys. Seven days later, PBS "Frontline" broadcast interviews with Miller and Anthony. The congressional committee was set to begin formal proceedings Oct. 8.
But on Oct. 3, Miller, 58, was admitted to the hospital with an unknown illness. He died nine days later. The cause is still unknown. Earlier, Miller told a few people he feared for his life. In a police report in January 1997, he identified Don Sweatman as the man who told him: "You hadn't been shot at yet." And who is Sweatman? He was associated with the Lums, often dropped Ron Brown's name and, according to others, sometimes identified himself as "Bill Clinton's personal representative."