An Arizona man was arrested after allegedly stealing from a dead woman and driving around with her body in the car. Kristopher Lauchner, 52, moved the body of the 55-year-old woman from a hotel to her house and left her tucked into bed.

He then allegedly stole her jewelry, her Mercedes, and a handgun. The victim, identified as Cindy Miller, was in a hotel room with Lauchner, where he claimed the two had taken dr*gs together between the night of August 4 and the morning of August 5. According to court records, Miller may have died of an overdose, though the official cause of death is still under investigation. 

Lauchner told police he tried performing CPR when Miller became unresponsive. But she had no pulse. Rather than calling 911, he claimed he went into “self-preservation” mode. He then dressed her, put her body in the passenger seat of her car and drove her home.

 

 
 
 
 
 
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After reaching her residence in Gilbert, he carried her inside, placed her in bed and covered her with a comforter. He also reportedly stole the car along with other belongings. On August 5, he sold Miller’s diamond ring and diamond necklace to a pawnshop in Tempe.

To avoid suspicion or anyone finding out about her death, Lauchner used Miller’s phone to send text messages to multiple women. However, her family figured out something was wrong. Her family members told police Miller had not been responsive for several days. 

The Gilbert Police Department responded to a welfare check call in the 1400 block of West Islandia Drive on August 8, 2026, and found her body inside the residence. They also reported several of the deceased’s personal belongings to be missing. Detectives used Flock license plate reader technology to track her car and connect it to Lauchner. 

He was arrested on August 11 after he tried to flee from officers, and a handgun that belonged to Miller was also recovered. 

Lauchner had been on pretrial release that came from an earlier domestic violence case involving Miller. Under the terms of his release, the defendant was not supposed to have any contact with the woman or visit her home, according to law enforcement. He had a court-ordered ankle monitor, which stopped working on July 12. 

He is currently booked in the Lower Buckeye Jail without bond. He appeared in a court hearing where Miller’s family and prosecutors requested a hold without bond.

Lauchner was charged with second-degree burglary, second-degree trafficking stolen property, unlawful use of means of transport, possession of a weapon by a prohibited person, and abandoning/concealing a dead body. This is still an open investigation as the authorities are looking into Miller’s cause of death and the manner in which it was committed.

Her phone still hasn’t been recovered, but the phone records show she was using it in her home and her vehicle. Surveillance footage and home security cameras also helped with the initial investigation.


Miller’s family is still processing what happened. One of her daughters told KNXV, “My mother was a presence unlike any other; she was known and loved by many. A mother of three, one recently lost (my little brother Zach, who was about to turn 21 and was lost to a motorcycle accident), and a charismatic, joyous woman. An avid pool player, scuba diver, painter, and entrepreneur. She was a light in the lives of everyone she met.”

The daughter noted, “His lies, stating that, you know, he’s here to help and figure this out, um, while we’re learning everything that he did was just unimaginably painful, um, and he’s not a safe person; he’s a dangerous, dangerous person. He’s hurt my family beyond belief.”

Disclaimer: The Inquisitr could not independently confirm the facts of this incident and is reporting based on the information available within the public record.