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VERNAL — A day of heavy drinking and arguing preceded the strangulation death of a Vernal man, according to charging documents filed in the murder case against the man's roommate.
Christopher Codi Andersen, 29, was charged Wednesday in 8th District Court with murder, a first-degree felony, in the death of Christopher Alan Miller.
One of Miller's friends told investigators both men were "already intoxicated" on July 5, 2013, when he picked them up and drove them to the liquor store in Vernal, "where they purchased some liquor for their road trip to Colorado," charging documents state.
The friend said Andersen and Miller bought more alcohol at a liquor store in Rangely, Colorado. He then drove them back to Vernal, where the pair began fighting inside the truck as they waited for their order at a fast food restaurant, court records state.
The man told investigators he dropped the bickering roommates off at their apartment and left. The following morning Andersen called 911 to report that the apartment had been burglarized and Miller was dead.
"The small living room in the apartment was messy and appeared as if there had been a struggle or a fight," Vernal police detective Chad Watt wrote. "There was an overturned coffee table, spilled Sonic restaurant food, a broken ceramic statue and knocked over DVDs."
Miller had obvious injuries to his face, head, neck, left arm and shoulder that appeared to have been inflicted with the broken ceramic statue, Watt wrote.
Officers asked Andersen whether he and Miller had recently argued or fought. He told them they had not, Watt wrote. Investigators said they saw no blood on the clothes he was wearing and noted "several superficial scratches on his forearm and forehead."
While photographs were being taken, I observed several small healing scratches that I had not noticed two days earlier. There was also some bruising on (Andersen's) inner right bicep that was not noticeable two days earlier.
–Vernal police detective Chad Watt wrote
Andersen was allowed to leave, but was arrested two days later for failing to register as a sex offender. By then an autopsy had determined that Miller, 52, had died as a result of blunt force trauma and strangulation, court records show.
Police obtained a search warrant and collected samples of Andersen's saliva and hair for testing. They also collected the clothes he was wearing the day of the Colorado trip and the clothes he was wearing when officers were called to the apartment.
"While photographs were being taken, I observed several small healing scratches that I had not noticed two days earlier," Watt wrote. "There was also some bruising on (Andersen's) inner right bicep that was not noticeable two days earlier."
Investigators later spoke with a man who allowed Andersen to stay with him immediately after Miller's death. He told detectives Andersen had expressed fears that he "may be going back to prison." Andersen told the man he and Miller were "getting drunk" when the older man "got a little violent with him," the charges state.
Andersen told his friend he didn't want to hurt Miller, "so he grabbed the guy and wrestled him to the ground and put him in a choke hold," Watt wrote, noting that Andersen said the two men quickly put the fight behind them and he went to bed.
Forensic tests run on evidence collected in connection with the case showed that Andersen's DNA was found under Miller's fingernails, Watt wrote. Miller's blood was also found on the shirt and shorts Andersen was wearing on July 5, the detective wrote.
Andersen's first court appearance is set for Friday. He remains in the Uintah County Jail, where he is being held without bail.
