Fourteen-year-old Claire Miller has been charged with homicide after the police found Claire’s sister, Helen, with multiple stab wounds early in the morning on February 22, according to Lancaster Online. 

Although Claire attended Lancaster Country Day School, some Manheim Township students have been shaken up about the killing as it occurred in a neighborhood where many Township students live, located just outside of Lancaster City. 

Senior Suzie May resides on Clayton Road, just a few doors down from the Millers. “The Millers [are] my neighbors. I was shocked when I heard the news. Even though I didn’t know the family too well, they were all very friendly,” May said. 

Junior Sydney Witwer, also a neighbor to the Millers, expressed sympathy for the family. “I would always wave to them when I was on my morning runs. … This was something I never could have seen coming and will definitely be haunting for the coming weeks. ”

Helen was pronounced dead at 4:13 AM later that morning. Another Lancaster Online article published on Thursday, February 25 reports that Claire was having suicidal and homicidal thoughts before the killing.

Nineteen-year-old Helen Miller had cerebral palsy and was receiving educational services from Manheim Township School District. She also attended the HMS School for Children with Cerebral Palsy in Philadelphia.

According to Lancaster Online, Claire called 911 around 1 AM on the 22nd saying she “killed her sister”, and police mentioned that she was hysterically attempting to wash the blood off her hands in the snow in front of the house when officers arrived. 

To address the situation, Lancaster Country Day School held virtual meetings to discuss the killing on Monday, February 22. The school held multiple moments of silence on Tuesday, the 23, and guidance counselors were readily available for support throughout the day. 

The Lancaster Country Day school district released a statement, where they affirmed that Helen Miller was a student of the school. “We were so saddened to learn of Helen’s tragic and unexpected passing. Our hearts go out to the family and friends of the Miller family. This is a devastating tragedy,” the statement read.

Although Claire is 14, she is being charged as an adult as homicide is not considered a delinquent act in Pennsylvania. According to Lancaster Online, she is being held in a female housing unit in the Lancaster County Prison. A preliminary hearing for Claire was scheduled for 1:30 p.m. on Friday, February 26, but has been postponed. A new date has not been set as of Thursday, February 25. If a district judge finds there is enough evidence at the preliminary hearing, then the case will be moved to the Lancaster County Court. Claire and her attorney can choose to move the charges to the court without a hearing. She will then be scheduled for a formal arraignment, during which she can enter a plea. 

A topic of discussion among some Manheim Township students has been the sensationalization of Claire’s situation on social media platforms such as TikTok. Popular creators like @lives_in_a_society and @joshhelfgott have commented on and made videos about the murder. The killing’s wide-reaching social media recognition has led some students, like senior Grace Bowman, to think people are sensationalizing the situation.““It’s a very personal issue between her and her family….the way that it is blowing up and becoming a national issue, I think it’s just not right.”

Witwer also said she looked negatively on the case’s popularity in the media. “I also think the negativity in the media is unnecessary and can bring stress into a family that has already had a horrible time,” Witwer said. 

Apart from the sensationalization of the killing, another way some are processing the killing would be to consider the psychological effects something like this may have on students and others. “I think there’s a natural tendency to try to find explanations for traumatic events because if we can do that, then that explanation might make us feel safer. For example, if it’s the result of some personal conflict instead of a random act we can more easily say, ‘it can’t happen to me,’” said Matt Davis, a psychology teacher at the high school.

Davis also said that student’s proximity to the killing may cause them to feel more connected to the situation and have a heightened sense of fear or anxiousness. He continued to say that  “any effect on our school community pales in comparison to what the family and friends [of Helen Miller] are going through right now.”