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Police Arrest Person Of Interest In Murder Of Lawyer

LAKEWOOD, Colo. (CBS4)- The man wanted for questioning in the murder of a lawyer is in custody. Police in Caldwell, Idaho arrested Warren Watson Friday morning.

The body of Claudia D. Miller, 66, was found at 7 p.m. Tuesday inside an office building near 4th and Urban Street. Police said she was a family law attorney.

Police wanted to speak with Watson, 52, in regards to any knowledge he may have about Miller's death. He was arrested on an outstanding warrant for a parole violation.

Warren-Watson2
Warren Watson (credit: Lakewood Police)

Detectives located Miller's car just before noon Thursday. It's described as a black 2012 Honda Accord with Colorado plate 915-YTU.

Police believe Watson is the man who used Miller's credit cards at the King Soopers in Stapleton and a Walmart in the area.

Claudia Miller (Don't Use Yet -- Not Confirmed)
Claudia Miller (credit: Facebook)

A worker in the building where Miller's body was found said a strange man was in the building earlier that day looking for gas money.

"He has a lot of information that we'd like to have but it's very possible that someone else killed her and either gave him the credit cards, sold the credit cards or ditched the cards so he may or may not be our prime suspect in the homicide," said Lakewood Police spokesman Steve Davis.

"Detectives have obtained surveillance camera images from a Walmart store at 36th and Quebec Street as well as a King Soopers store at 28th and Quebec that contain the image of a black man who was in possession of a credit card belonging to the victim," Davis said.

Lakewood Death Surveillance 1 King Soopers
An image of the suspect (credit: Lakewood Police Department)
Lakewood Death Surveillance 2 King Soopers
An image of the suspect (credit: Lakewood Police Department)

"We're not sure that this man killed her, but he has a lot of information we'd like to have," Davis said.

Miller was an attorney and had a family law practice located in the building.

"I was in the office all day yesterday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and I didn't hear anything, with them finding her at 7 p.m. I don't know if anything could have happened while I was there," said Dominic Losasso, who works in the building.

Although Losasso didn't hear anything suspicious, he said he did encounter someone who was out of place earlier in the day.

"I remembered yesterday that a man had come in about 10 a.m. to ask for money, he identified himself with a moving company and his truck had run out of gas," Losasso said.

Warren-Watson
Warren Watson (credit: Lakewood Police)

Davis said they are checking on that lead, but it's "someone else that we have not located" at this point.

"Whether it has anything to do with this or not, we don't know at this point," Davis said.

Detectives on Wednesday searched through dumpsters outside the building and examined paperwork for anything that might offer clues in the woman's murder.

Police have not released the manner of death, but detectives indicated there was trauma to the victim's body.

Additional Resources

Lakewood Detectives are asking anyone who feels they may have information about Warren Watson that would assist them in their investigation to call Crime Stoppers at (720) 913-7867. You may be eligible for a $2,000 reward.

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