Former Mannford Police Officer Sentenced To Life, Convicted Of Killing His Police Chief

Former Mannford police officer Michael Nealey has been sentenced by a judge to life in prison Thursday in a Florida court. Nealey is convicted of killing his boss Police Chief Lucky Miller.

This is a breaking news update. The original story is below.

In late March 2021, a jury found him guilty of killing his boss, Police Chief Lucky Miller, after he hit him several times. Nealey and Miller went to Pensacola, Florida in November 2019 for a law enforcement conference. They shared a hotel room, which is where investigators said they got into a drunken fight that ended in Miller's death.

During the trial in Escambia County, witnesses testified they heard noises coming from the room for hours before the homicide. The medical examiner also testified that Miller died from blunt force trauma to the head and asphyxiation by strangulation and smothering.

Prosecutors said at least one of the hits from Nealey had the impact of a car accident.

During closing arguments, Nealey's defense attorney said his client was so drunk that he slipped off the bed onto Miller and, because of his condition, he wasn't physically able to get off Miller.

Nealey declined to take the stand in his defense.

A Family member of Miller's issued the following statement after the decision:

First and foremost, we would like to express our gratitude and upmost appreciation to the State Attorney’s Office, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, first responders, the city of Pensacola, and all those who were involved in Lucky’s case and played a role in securing justice for him and our family. We will be forever grateful.

Lucky was loved and respected in many communities in Oklahoma, but especially in Davenport, Stroud, and Mannford. We would like to thank these communities and others for their prayers and words of comfort and strength. Since his death, Lucky has been honored by several local and state agencies. We are thankful the work he did will be positively remembered by those he chose to serve and protect.

Most importantly, Lucky loved his family and was loved deeply by them. He will be remembered as a God-fearing man, full of compassion and a heart to help others. Anyone who met Lucky knew he had a dynamic personality. He will forever be missed by those that loved and cared for him.