After over three decades of silence and mystery, a major breakthrough has emerged in a cold case that haunted the Cambridge community. Edward J. Watson, a 65-year-old Mattapan resident, has been indicted for the 1992 murder of Michelle Miller, Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan and Cambridge Police Commissioner Christine Elow announced.
Miller, a former U.S. Army soldier and a mother of two, was last seen alive on July 28, 1992. Her body was later discovered in a vacant apartment's basement in Central Square, Cambridge. Watson, who was arraigned this week and is to continue being held without bail, has long managed to keep his alleged involvement secret. The indictment attempts to fully uncover and acknowledge the depth of this nefarious act. "Edward J. Watson allegedly took the life of Michelle Miller, a mother and a soldier, with calculated premeditation," District Attorney Ryan said, in a statement obtained by The Middlesex District Attorney's Office website.
It wasn't until the District Attorney’s Cold Case Unit revisited archived records from the Department of Social Services in 2024 that haunting truths began to surface. These documents painted a disturbing picture of the domestic abuse Michelle Miller suffered and her desperate attempts at protection before vanishing.
Newly developed evidence further points to a darker narrative, suggesting Miller was the victim of a murder-for-hire scheme. The hit was allegedly carried out by Watson at the direction of her then-partner, Daniel J. Innis. Innis, who was already incarcerated for an unrelated manslaughter and has since passed away, appears to have been central to the plot leading to Miller's untimely death. The investigation was a joint effort between the Middlesex DA's Cold Case Unit, Massachusetts State Police Detectives, and the Cambridge Police Department. Assistant District Attorney Dave Solet and Victim Witness Advocate Helena Clarke are now tasked with bringing closure to a case that has long demanded justice.
This indictment marks the next step in a long-overdue process of accountability, as conveyed by District Attorney Ryan. Watson's next court appearance has been scheduled for April 16, which provides a glimmer of closure for those who knew Michelle Miller and have waited for this day to arrive.
