Woman shot, killed in Dayton home identified

A single mother of two small children was shot to death inside her Parkwood Avenue home Tuesday night.

The motive and circumstances surrounding the death of Jillian R. Miles, 27, are still unclear. Police said they have some leads, but did not release any further information Wednesday.

Miles, originally from Eaton, was a Sinclair Community College graduate and the mother of a 2-year-old boy and a 1-year-old girl.

Her children were in the living room of 160 W. Parkwood when police arrived at about 9 p.m. Tuesday and found Miles collapsed on the floor.

She had suffered two gunshot wounds and was rushed to Miami Valley Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Amelia Miles told WHIO-TV that her younger sister was a very private person and a very good mother. She said it must take a very cold hearted person to kill a mother in front of her children.

“They were right there. They never left her side,” she said. “She took very good care of them and they probably sat there and watched her take her last breath.”

The children are now in the care of Miles’ mother who lives in Arcanum.

Miles’ Facebook photo albums show happy photos of her and her kids. Several of the snapshots picture the children with a man identified as their father. Amelia Miles said she was unsure if he was still a part of her sister’s life.

“If there was an issue, we wouldn’t know,” she said.

Neighbors reported seeing someone running from the home after they heard shots fired Tuesday night, according to Dayton Police Sgt. Mark Spiers.

Bryan Castle has lived on the other side of the Parkwood duplex from Miles for about a year. He said he didn’t hear anything Tuesday night, but said he’s heard people fighting next door in the past.

“Hollering and screaming, cuss words everywhere,” he said. “She would pack up the kids and get in the car and go somewhere. She would go down to the grocery store down here just to get away.”

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