SPOKANE VALLEY, Wash. — A Spokane Valley man with a history of threatening his neighbors and a lengthy criminal record appeared in court Friday after being charged with intentionally setting his own home on fire.
James Gurney Miller was arrested following the October 5th fire at his trailer. According to court documents, Miller initially provided false information to law enforcement about how the fire started, later admitting he lit a roll of toilet paper on fire inside his residence.
Court records indicate Miller lied to investigators because he was ashamed of his methamphetamine use. The admission came after police questioned him about the circumstances surrounding the fire.
Miller’s criminal history includes multiple convictions, among them assault charges. Court documents also reveal a pattern of threatening behavior toward his neighbors. In 2023, Miller was involved in a lengthy standoff with Spokane Valley Police after throwing a rock at a neighbor and threatening to kill them.
During Friday’s court appearance, Spokane County Public Defender Dawson Osborn addressed Miller’s mental health history during the proceedings.
“The affidavit of facts reflects that Mr. Miller has a long history of mental health issues and there’s an ebb and flow of times where he’s doing well, and times that he’s not doing so well,” Osborn said. “If the allegations are to be believed here, this appears to be a time where he’s not doing so well.”
The judge presiding over the case determined that releasing Miller from custody would pose a danger to the public and declined to grant his release. Miller remains incarcerated in the Spokane County Jail, held on a $100,000 bond as the case proceeds through the court system.
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