Police nab Butler County homicide suspect in Venango County

Police on Thursday arrested a man accused of shooting to death a 23-year-old man in Butler County earlier this week.

Alec D. Miller, 19, of Oakland Township is charged with homicide in the death of Maximillian W. Halterman in Oakland Township.

After hours of searching for the suspect, officials found and detained Miller in Franklin, Venango County, about 45 miles north of Butler, Trib news partner WPXI-TV reports.

Butler County Assistant District Attorney Ben Simon told the Butler Eagle they believe the shooting was drug-related.

Halterman was shot and killed Tuesday, but officials did not find his body until Wednesday morning, Butler Eagle reports.

In an arrest warrant, state police said that surveillance video shows Miller pull into the driveway of Halterman’s home with a long gun. The footage shows him departing the residence about 25 minutes later.

Police also said they found text messages between Miller in a friend in which Miller said, “I went to Max house and smoked him,” and, “I shot him in the neck and head.”

Miller lives with his grandparents near Halterman’s home, the Eagle reported.

Police said he took off in his grandfather’s pickup truck after the shooting.

Photo of Alec Miller (19 year old male). He is wanted for the homicide of Maximillian Halterman on 3/20/19 in Oakland Twp, Butler County. Please contact the PA State Police (724-284-8100) with information regarding the case or the whereabouts of Miller. pic.twitter.com/4Ca3RNlpoL

— Troop D PIO (@PSPTroopDPIO) March 21, 2019

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call state police in Butler at 724-284-8100.

Jacob Tierney and Natasha Lindstrom are Tribune-Review staff writers. You can contact Jacob at 724-836-6646, jtierney@tribweb.com or via Twitter @Soolseem. Contact Natasha at 412-380-8514, nlindstrom@tribweb.com or via Twitter @NewsNatasha.