Deputies arrest four in connection with North Idaho homicide

Four Spokane-area residents were arrested Sunday as suspects in an early morning homicide in North Idaho. The four are being held in Spokane County Jail on warrants issued from Benewah County, Idaho, officials said. A Spokane County Sheriff’s office release said they were arrested in Spokane after returning from Idaho. The arrests took place during more than 12 hours of investigations by Idaho State Police, Spokane Police and Spokane County Sheriff’s officers and detectives. The four — three men and one woman — were arrested in Spokane Sunday afternoon and evening. The three men were identified as 21-year-old Irael S. Kennedy; 22-year-old Stephen R. Milton; and 40-year-old Jody A. Miller. The woman suspect is Kelly A. Miller, 40. The victim was identified as Antowyn D. Swiney, 37. An autopsy is set for Monday. A police press release said the four allegedly left Spokane early Sunday and traveled to Plummer, across the Idaho state line in Benewah County. A police report said they came to a Plummer residence around 4:30 a.m. where the victim was staying. Spokane County Sheriff’s spokesman Dave Reagan said the murder took place inside that residence, on 8th Street, on the south end of Plummer. Idaho State Police began the investigation and contacted Spokane law enforcement, giving them the names of the suspects. Idaho State Police told Spokane law enforcement they believed the four were driving back to Spokane from Plummer. One of the four, Kennedy, was arrested Sunday morning after he traveled to Holy Family Hospital to be treated for an injury. His injuries were not disclosed. The three other suspects were arrested at later points in the day. Reagan said officers staked out a a number of possible Spokane residences looking for Jody Miller, the last of the four to be arrested. Jody Miller has an extensive criminal record in Eastern Washington courts. Sheriff’s detectives and a SWAT team arrested him at a residence at 2400 W. Dean about 7:20 p.m. Jody Miller and Kennedy were being held on $1 million dollar bonds and Milton and Kelly Miller were being held on $500,000 bonds. It’s unclear if Kelly Miller is related to Jody Miller. The four reportedly began their Sunday celebrating Jody Miller’s 40th birthday in downtown Spokane before driving to Plummer where the killing occurred.