Lucille Miller (1930-1986) was a Canadian-born American housewife and mother who was convicted of first-degree murder for the 1964 murder of her husband, Gordon ("Cork").
Born Lucille Maxwell in Winnipeg, Manitoba, she was living in San Bernardino County, California, with Cork and their three children at the time of the murder. Cork was a dentist and was unable to provide the type of lifestyle that Lucille, an aspiring social climber, wanted. Lucille began an extramarital affair with lawyer Arthwell Hayton, who was much more well-to-do than Cork. However, Arthwell refused to leave his wife, Elaine.
In April 1964, Elaine Hayton died under mysterious circumstances. Lucille thought this would open the door for Arthwell to be with her. Instead, Arthwell ended their relationship permanently. With one ticket to the good life gone and financial problems looming, Lucille zeroed in on an alternative: her husband's life insurance policy, which featured a double indemnity clause that would pay out $140,000 if he were to die in an accident.
On October 7, 1964, Lucille poured her husband a glass of milk, and convinced Cork to come along with her to the grocery store to buy more milk. Unbeknowst to Cork, Lucille had spiked the milk with barbiturates, and he was soon incapacitated. Lucille drove her husband to a remote area, doused the car with gasoline, and set it on fire, then watched as Cork burned to death.
Authorities didn't believe Lucille's story of an accident and she was quickly charged with first-degree murder. She was convicted in March 1965 and received a life sentence, but was paroled in 1972 after serving only seven years, and apparently lived the rest of her life in peace. Lucille was also suspected in the death of Elaine Hayton, and exhumation of Elaine's body revealed the same types of barbiturates Lucille had used to drug her husband on the night of his death. However, authorities declined to charge her for Elaine's death.
Lucille Miller died on November 4, 1986, at the age of 56.
She was profiled in Season 13, Episode 1 of Deadly Women, "Fatal Love."