(WXYZ) — Robert Miles is about to be released from prison. His new name is Robert Miles Veces.
He pleaded guilty to Second Degree Murder and was sentenced 30 to 60 years after killing the mother and sister of his girlfriend in December of 1991. Crystal Kneeshaw was a teen at the time. She just got the news of his release yesterday. She tells 7 Action News, “I failed my family. I've been fighting for so long and I feel like I failed.”
Her fight to keep him locked up started from day one and continued when he was up for parole. Our first story was 2016.
Crystal was sent a letter two years ago from Crime Victim Services saying Robert Miles changed his name to Veces, his mother’s maiden name. And Crystal fears it can’t be easily traced online saying, “If you Google Robert Miles you see our stories. You can see he's been convicted. There's public record. If you Google, Robert Veces, there's nothing.”
The state prison tracking system OTIS shows Veces as an alias, but you have to do a closer look.
Miles public defender declined to be interviewed for this report but provided documents and criteria the parole board and the court used to grant his release.
His disciplinary actions in prison go back to the 1990s and early 2000s that include possession of dangerous contraband, threatening behavior, destruction of property and disobeying an order. There are no misconducts for fighting, assaults on staff or other prisoners.
Miles completed violence prevention programming and has a 2018 low rating for violent re-offense.
But Crystal also reads from a prison report given to her that incudes Miles’ own words. She says, “It's here in black and white, and I highlighted it, he stated I am a bit fearful. I'm comfortable here. I want more time to mature and follow the rules.”
And get this: she’s been told Miles got government stimulus money while in prison. She has not been told and the Department of Corrections hasn’t told us how much. Kneesaw says, “I live off disability because I suffer from PTSD. And I struggle just knowing that he's sitting in prison getting free money here. I mean, he's been in there 30 years so he hasn't worked in 30 years. How does he qualify for a stimulus?”
We’re not telling you where Crystal and her family live. They are not planning to move.
Robert Miles Veces has family in the area and may move in with them. There’s an order he is to have no contact with Crystal’s family and she says, “I have cameras. I have big dogs. I have big boys. I have a big husband. And we have other points. You know, right now. It's a step by step.”
