Man charged with murder dies in Scott County jail while in COVID-19 quarantine

A man charged with first-degree murder was discovered dead early Tuesday in his cell while being quarantined related to COVID-19, authorities said.

Taran C. Miller, 44, of Prior Lake, was found unresponsive during routine inmate checks by corrections officers about 3:45 a.m. and appeared to have suffered "a medical emergency," the Sheriff's Office said.

Officers immediately performed CPR on Miller and were soon joined by emergency medical personnel before he was declared dead about 45 minutes later, according to the Sheriff's Office.

Miller had made a hospital visit and was recently placed in coronavirus quarantine and was being housed alone in his cell.

A determination about Miller's death is now left to the Hennepin County Medical Examiner's Office.

In March, Miller and his 17-year-old son, Braylen J. Miller, were charged with murder, while wife TanyaMarie Miller, 43, was charged with aiding an offender after the fact in connection with the Feb. 27 shooting of Samuel A. Keezer, 16, of Burnsville, in a Target store parking lot in Savage.

Taran Miller shot Keezer because he believed the teen was going to take marijuana without paying during a drug deal involving his son, according to prosecutors.

TanyaMarie Miller pleaded guilty and was sentenced in November to one year and one day in prison, with nearly nine months of credit for time in jail since her arrest.

Braylen Miller, who is charged as an adult with first-degree murder, is due back in court in March.

Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482