Update: Go-Fund Me page set up for 24-year-old veteran killed in Alachua County

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (WCJB) - Anette Miller was only 24 years old when she was killed. She was a daughter, a mother, a friend, and a veteran.

Miller was found shot and unresponsive in her home last week by Alachua County deputies.

A little over a year ago she joined the American Legion in Hawthorne and members say she was one of a kind. Commander of the organziation, Kenneth Krug, said he recruited Miller to join in March of 2019 after meeting her and hearing about her service in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

“She came and filled out an application to become a member of our post and everybody loved her so much, she got promoted to Second Vice Commander. Everybody at our post was extremely saddened to hear about her passing because she was loved by everybody.”

Miller was known for her contagious laugh and dedication to the community. Krug said Miller was always looking for ways to help those around her, on top of working as a waitress in Gainesville and taking care of her two young children.

Her mother is the one who found her body.

“She tried repeatedly to text and call her on her cell phone,” Krug said. “There was no answer … she went into the home and called out to her daughter ... and when her daughter didn’t respond, she went into the bedroom. She saw her daughter laying in bed covered and went to approach the bed ... she felt her daughters foot and it was cold. She went to raise her daughter’s foot and said rigor mortis and already set in and the body was stiff.”

Brandon Martin was taking into custody in Franklin, North Carolina in connection with Annette Miller’s death. Police determined a bullet to be the cause of Miller’s death. The 31-year-old is currently being held at the Macon North Carolina Sheriff’s Office and has been charged with homicide, tampering of evidence and grand theft in Alachua County.

Even with the killer behind bars, the pain of Miller’s loss lingers.

“The oldest child is constantly asking when mommy is coming home … I told Anette’s mother, ‘tell her God needed a waitress up in heaven’.”

On top of now caring for the two children, Miller’s mother is also going through chemotherapy for cancer. If you would like to donate to help care for Miller’s two children, you can find the link to their GoFund Me page here.

Copyright 2020 WCJB. All rights reserved.