NOYACK BAY, NY – Peter and Pamela Miller of Sag Harbor, Long Island, were sentenced Thursday in connection with a tragic 2022 fire that killed two sisters, Jillian and Lindsay Wiener, who were vacationing in a rented Noyac Bay home with their family.
In August 2022, the Wiener family, from Potomac, Maryland, rented the Miller-owned house for a week-long stay. At approximately 3 a.m. on August 3, a fierce blaze broke out, forcing the family into a desperate escape. Parents Alisa and Lewis Wiener suffered burns as they narrowly escaped, and their son, Zachary, leapt from the second floor to save himself. Tragically, sisters Jillian, a University of Michigan student, and Lindsay, a Tulane University student, were trapped and lost their lives in the fire.
Investigations revealed the fire originated in an outdoor kitchen that the Millers had constructed without permits or an electrical inspection. Additionally, the home’s smoke and carbon monoxide detectors were improperly installed and lacked a battery backup.
In a courtroom filled with the Wieners’ grieving family and friends, the Millers were sentenced, expressing profound remorse for the tragedy. Peter Miller, who pled guilty to criminally negligent homicide, received a sentence of three years probation and 200 hours of community service. Pamela Miller, who pled guilty to reckless endangerment, was sentenced to 100 hours of community service.
Defense attorney Ed Burke Jr. described the case as deeply emotional, affecting both families profoundly. During court proceedings, the Wieners spoke of the indescribable loss and shared memories of Jillian and Lindsay, remembered by their universities as bright, artistic, and compassionate young women.
In a heartbreaking turn, father Lewis Wiener, who had been a survivor of the fire, passed away from pancreatic cancer following the tragedy, leaving behind his wife and son. In their statement to the court, Alisa and Zachary Wiener said they are determined to honor their family’s memory through resilience and love, rather than by tragedy alone.
