A dispute involving a small lottery windfall ended in a fatal confrontation in a Portland apartment parking lot, where 75-year-old James S. Miller was struck by a vehicle in November 2025.
Mary Ann McKinzy, 55, is now facing second-degree murder, first-degree assault and negligent homicide charges in connection with Miller’s death. She was arrested in Bakersfield, California, on Aug. 5 and returned to Oregon on Sept. 18, where she was booked into the Multnomah County Detention Center.
According to court documents, Miller had won $3,200 through the lottery while he and McKinzy were in a relationship. Prosecutors allege that Miller gave McKinzy $1,700 from the winnings but later accused her of taking another $800.
The disagreement eventually led Miller to go to McKinzy’s apartment complex in southeast Portland with a friend on Nov. 28, 2025, investigators said.
The situation quickly escalated in the parking lot.
Miller’s friend told police that Miller wanted McKinzy to open the door of her vehicle and threatened to break the window. Miller also reportedly asked his friend to position his vehicle behind McKinzy’s car so she could not drive away.
McKinzy allegedly backed her vehicle into the other car.
As the confrontation continued, surveillance footage reportedly showed Miller using a knife to puncture the tires of McKinzy’s vehicle. The investigation also included a witness account that Miller threw a knife toward the vehicle.
Prosecutors allege that McKinzy then reversed her vehicle and struck Miller. When the vehicle was still over him, Miller’s friend reportedly told her to move it. McKinzy allegedly responded that Miller was trying to kill her before leaving the scene.
Miller was pronounced dead at the scene.
The incident was initially investigated as a possible stabbing after officers responded to the 900 block of Southeast 162nd Avenue shortly before 3:45 a.m. The medical examiner later determined that Miller died from blunt-force trauma and classified the death as a homicide, rather than a stabbing.
The investigation continued for months after Miller’s death.
Authorities later located McKinzy’s vehicle at a tire shop. Investigators said evidence connected the vehicle to the scene, including a hubcap that matched one recovered from the parking lot. Personal belongings were also reportedly found inside the vehicle.
By the time investigators obtained an arrest warrant, McKinzy had left Oregon.
The U.S. Marshals Service eventually located her in Bakersfield, California, on Aug. 5. She was held in Kern County before being extradited to Multnomah County in September.
McKinzy is now being held in Oregon as the criminal case moves through the court system. Her next scheduled court appearance is Sept. 29.
The charges are allegations, and the case remains pending in Multnomah County.
