Jesse Miller, the young man accused of putting UW-Madison's campus on lock down in late September, appeared in court Friday. Prosecutors charged him with a felony escape and a misdemeanor obstruction.
Those charges, however, were not filed in connection to the lockdown, according to Assistant District Attorney Mike Verveer. Instead, the felony escape charge was filed against Miller for failure to return to jail on Sept. 8, and the obstruction charge was brought about for calls he made from San Diego to Madison police posing as his brother, which came two days after the lockdown incident.
Verveer said those calls led to several police inspecting an apartment on East Washington Avenue. He noted all the police resources used in that investigation led to the obstructing count.
Still, the 19-year-old Miller had been in Dane County Jail for attempted armed robbery, but allowed to participate in the Huber work release program before his alleged antics in late September.
The trouble began when Miller was listed as AWOL on Sept. 8 for failing to return to jail after a medical appointment. He reappeared on Sept. 25 when he allegedly made threatening calls regarding UW Hospital and the surrounding campus area.
Police said the Dane County Crisis Center received calls from a man they believe was Miller. In those calls, Miller hinted he had a gun on top of a parking structure at UW Hospital and wanted to be killed by police. He also is thought to have called in a bomb threat.
Miller was found days later in San Diego at a military hospital. He was then extradited back to Dane County.
Verveer said charges against Miller for the lockdown situation are still pending because the District Attorney's office has yet to receive the necessary reports from the UWPD.
Miller's bail was set for $5,000 by a court commissioner, but it is not likely he will be released even if bail is posted because he is currently serving a sentence.
