Lawrence man accused of 15 counts, including rape, assault and burglary, ordered to stand trial in March

A Douglas County District Court judge on Wednesday ordered Ryan Allen Miller, who is accused of raping two women and burglarizing four homes on Nov. 7, to stand trial in late March.

During Miller’s preliminary hearing Wednesday, at which he entered a plea of not guilty, Judge Kay Huff listened to testimony from seven crime victims, including two women who testified that Miller sexually assaulted them.

Douglas County District Attorney Charles Branson also submitted an amended complaint on Wednesday that added two new charges of kidnapping.

In all, Miller, 36, of Lawrence, faces 15 criminal charges, including rape, criminal threat, two counts of aggravated sodomy, two counts of kidnapping, four counts of aggravated assault and five counts of aggravated burglary.

Miller, dressed in a gray shirt and red pants, his hair cropped close, sat quietly watching as victims recounted the events of a late-night crime spree in the 800 blocks of Missouri, Maine and Alabama streets.

Ryan A. Miller, pictured after his arrest on Nov. 7, 2015.

All but one of the crime victims who testified Wednesday identified Miller as the suspect.

A witness who lived at a home on Alabama Street — the first home Miller is accused of breaking into — testified that Miller was wearing a mask and carrying a weapon, which Lawrence police later identified as a BB gun. Miller attempted to break in through a door, got in part way, and had an altercation with the witness, who also testified that she grabbed the gun-barrel and pushed it upward. Miller then fled, leaving behind the mask, according to the witness’ testimony.

Minutes afterward, Miller allegedly broke into a house on Maine Street where several college students lived and were entertaining friends. One of the witnesses testified that she walked into the kitchen just as Miller came through the door. He turned and pointed a gun at her, she testified.

He told her he would not hurt her as she backed into the living room where several friends were, she testified. Miller then swung the gun around the room, pointed it at them, said again he was not going to hurt anyone and went out the front door, she said.

Miller then allegedly went to a house on Missouri Street. A man who lives in that house testified that Miller quickly left when the man, who was using a computer in another room, called out after hearing a noise.

Miller then allegedly went to another house on Missouri Street. Two women in the house testified that he sexually assaulted them. After an altercation with the man, in which one of them said she tried to shoot him with his gun, the women were able to flee the house.

Police said they found Miller hiding in the basement wearing only his socks.

Two detectives testified that Miller gave a video-recorded confession to the crimes over approximately two and a half hours.

The detectives said Miller told them he broke into houses because he needed money to buy drugs and to get his car out of the tow lot.

Branden Smith, Miller’s court-appointed attorney, said the confession included a statement by his client that he was high on methamphetamine at the time of the crimes. Smith said he intended to file a motion to suppress some of the statements Miller made to the detectives.

Miller is being held on a $1 million bond in the Douglas County Jail. His trial is scheduled for the week of March 28.