The family of 27-year-old Tonea Nicole Miller is asking the public for support as they continue seeking answers surrounding her death after launching a GoFundMe campaign to help pay for an independent investigation.
Miller was found hanging from a tree near Gwen Cherry Park in Miami-Dade County on June 18. The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office has classified her death as an apparent suicide and has since closed the case.
However, Miller’s family says they are not convinced by the official findings and is raising money to fund an independent autopsy and hire private investigators.
“My name is Terri Miller. I’m the oldest—and only living—sister of Tonea Nicole Miller,” her sister wrote on the GoFundMe page. “Authorities say it was suicide. They have already closed the case. I have questions about their findings and have doubts that it was suicide.”
According to the fundraiser, the family has retained JULIAN, a civil rights nonprofit that focuses on investigating alleged modern-day lynchings. While the organization does not charge for its services, Terri Miller said the family still needs financial assistance to cover the cost of an independent autopsy, forensic experts and private investigators.
“The pathologist and investigators JULIAN has connected me with are the best in the nation,” she wrote. “We need them to find the truth of what happened to my sister.”
In the fundraiser, Terri Miller also shared personal details about her sister, describing her as someone who loved learning, exercised regularly and operated a small business creating candles and body oils.
She said Tonea had recently moved to Florida to build a new life after their mother’s death and disputed rumors circulating online that she had traveled to Miami for Juneteenth celebrations.
Terri Miller also referenced a video she said her sister recorded in April in which Tonea stated she would never take her own life, saying the family believes additional questions remain unanswered.
In the weeks following Miller’s death, members of the South Florida community have publicly questioned the circumstances surrounding the case. Many have called for a more thorough investigation, citing the historical trauma associated with Black Americans being found hanging from trees and expressing concern that the case was closed too quickly.
Earlier this month, Miller’s loved ones gathered for a community vigil near Gwen Cherry Park, where family members renewed their call for an independent autopsy and asked supporters to stand with them as they seek answers.
The GoFundMe campaign states that any funds raised will go toward investigative costs and that the family plans to provide regular public updates about how donations are being used.
“All I ask for is justice—for Tonea. For our family. For truth,” Terri Miller wrote.
Hy-Lo News will continue following this story and provide updates as more information becomes available.
This is a Hy-Lo News Staff Report.
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