Coverage spread: 2 sources — 2 unrated
Lean ratings via AllSides / Media Bias-Fact-Check. How this works.
Where they agree
- Cindy Miller, 55, was found dead inside her Gilbert home during a welfare check on Aug. 8 after family hadn’t heard from her.
- Kristopher Lauchner, 52, is accused of moving her body and stealing her vehicle and other belongings.
- Police tracked the stolen car using license plate reader technology and arrested Lauchner Tuesday after he allegedly tried to flee.
- He faces charges of abandoning or concealing a dead body, burglary, and trafficking in stolen property; cause of death is still pending.
Where they differ
- 12 News offers only a brief note on the welfare check and body discovery, without naming the suspect or charges.
- AZFamily provides the fuller account, including Lauchner’s name, age, the pretrial no-contact order tied to Miller, and details of his attempted flight from police.
- Only AZFamily reports that Lauchner was previously banned from contacting Miller under pretrial release conditions, a detail 12 News omits entirely.
A 52-year-old man was arrested this week after Gilbert police say he moved the body of a 55-year-old woman he knew and stole her car following her death. Officers found Cindy Miller dead inside her home near Warner and McQueen roads on Saturday, Aug. 8, during a welfare check requested by her family, who hadn’t heard from her in days. Kristopher Lauchner was taken into custody Tuesday after allegedly fleeing from officers, and now faces charges including abandoning or concealing a dead body, burglary, and trafficking in stolen property.
What did police find during the welfare check?
Gilbert police were called to Miller’s home near Warner and McQueen roads on Saturday after her family reported not hearing from her for several days. When officers arrived, they found Miller dead inside the residence. Detectives soon discovered that several of her belongings, including her vehicle, were missing from the scene.
How did investigators identify a suspect?
Detectives used Flock automatic license plate reader technology to track Miller’s vehicle, which was allegedly being driven by Lauchner in the days following her death. Police say Lauchner knew Miller personally, and notably, he was already barred from contacting her under conditions of a pretrial release from a separate, unspecified case. Investigators allege Lauchner moved Miller’s body from wherever she died to her Gilbert home, though police have not disclosed the original location of her death or how she died.
What happened when police tried to arrest him?
Lauchner allegedly tried to run from officers on Tuesday before he was caught and taken into custody. He was booked into Maricopa County jail on charges of abandoning or concealing a dead body, burglary, and trafficking in stolen property.
What is still unknown?
The Maricopa County medical examiner has not yet determined Miller’s official cause and manner of death. Police have also not said where she was killed or moved from before her body was allegedly relocated to her own home, and the investigation remains active and ongoing.
Why does the pretrial release detail matter?
The fact that Lauchner was legally prohibited from contacting Miller before her death raises questions about the earlier case that led to that restriction, though neither source detailed what that prior case involved. It also underscores a recurring concern in domestic and interpersonal violence cases: whether existing no-contact orders are enough to prevent harm when a suspect and victim have an established relationship.
How did investigators use license plate readers?
The Flock camera network, an automated system that scans and logs vehicle license plates across a coverage area, allowed detectives to track the movement of Miller’s stolen car and ultimately identify Lauchner as the person driving it. This technology has become an increasingly common tool for Valley police departments in tracking stolen vehicles and suspects tied to violent crimes.
Sources
Featured photo: Cygnusloop99 via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)