Family speaks in court about Waterford man’s shooting death

A 12-year-old boy on Tuesday spoke in court to the man who shot and killed his father four years ago in Waterford.

Billy Miller III read from a statement he wrote in a small notebook that he gripped tightly as he sat just a few feet away from defendant Jose Luis Solis Jr. The boy asked Solis why he hurt his father.

“I loved my dad so much, and you took that away from me,” the boy said at Solis’ sentencing hearing.

Last month, Solis pleaded no contest to voluntary manslaughter in the shooting of 27-year-old Billy Miller Jr. during a fight at an apartment complex. Solis, 34, initially was charged with murder but agreed to a plea deal to the lesser charge and avoided a trial.

As part of the defendant’s deal, prosecutors dropped charges of murder, possessing a dangerous weapon and being a convicted felon in possession of a gun.

Stanislaus Superior Court Judge Dawna Reeves sentenced Solis to 16 years in prison, which was the agreed upon sentence. The judge told Solis he will not be allowed to own or possess a gun or ammunition for the rest of his life. She also said Solis’ conviction is considered a strike under the state’s “three strikes” law.

Before the defendant was sentenced, Miller’s family was given an opportunity to speak in court about the impact of his death.

Linda Wheeler placed two framed photos of Miller and his son at the opposite end of the table where Solis was sitting. Wheeler is the boy’s grandmother.

“I want you to look at these pictures and see what you took away,” Wheeler told Solis.

She said 16 years in prison isn’t enough for the senseless, violent act the defendant committed.

Francee Dodd, Miller’s aunt, said in court that Solis killed Miller and hid from authorities. She said she’s angry the defendant’s sentence is only 16 years for killing a man.

“You are a coward in my eyes,” Dodd told Solis.

On May 14, 2010, Stanislaus County sheriff’s deputies found Miller dead at an apartment complex near Dorsey and E streets.

Authorities have said Miller and Solis knew each other and were fighting before the shooting. Miller was shot in the chest.

Solis was identified as a suspect in the case shortly after the shooting. He remained a fugitive until September 2012, when authorities captured him.

This story was originally published November 4, 2014 at 3:54 PM with the headline "Family speaks in court about Waterford man’s shooting death."