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Joseph 'Joe' Michael Miller is the husband of Ellie Miller, whom he met through his work as a Paramedic. Ellie and Joe are the parents of Tom Miller and Fred Miller. He was revealed to be the killer of Daniel Latimer in the finale of Series One, whom he had been meeting in secret because he believed himself to be in love with him. Daniel became upset by these meetings and threatened to tell someone prompting Joe to strangle him to death in a violent rage.

After the investigation had been going on for weeks with no leads remaining, he confessed to D.I. Alec Hardy and was arrested. Alec allowed Ellie to see Joe after telling her that Joe was the murderer. Ellie attacked Joe, kicking him several times in the ribcage. Joe pleaded not guilty in court and Ellie's assault on him became the reason for the removal of his confession from the evidence in court. He was eventually found not guilty by the court but was later banished from Broadchurch by the townspeople, including the Latimer family and Ellie, as a way to secure justice for Danny's murder in spite of Joe's freedom.

Later in Series Three, it's revealed Joe has changed his name and works as a security guard in Liverpool, where Mark tracks him down and observes him without Joe noticing him.

On another morning, Joe arrives to work and spots Mark watching him from a distance. While visibly unnerved by this familiar face, Joe attempts to avoid him until Mark approaches him for a talk. Mark starts out by asking why Joe pled innocent and made him and his family go through the trial. Joe then requests Mark's phone, which Mark had on recording mode as a means to document whatever Joe said and use as new evidence to have a retrial. Mark also forks over a box cutter he was thinking about using on Joe and expresses blame towards him for ripping apart his family by taking away Daniel. When Mark demands to be told how exactly Daniel died and becomes upset when Joe questions him, Joe tries to apologize for what happened.

Joe briefly talks the moment he fell for Daniel when he brought Tom over to Mark's house and tries to assuage Mark's anger towards him by telling him that he understands Mark wants him in prison but that the life he has now is a punishment too, as he's lost everything he once had. He admits the only reason he hasn't killed himself yet is he's too cowardly to do it. Mark believes he could've saved Daniel from him because he was in the park the evening his son was killed. Joe reveals, however, that Daniel's body was already on the beach by then. Mark is devastated by this revelation but decides not to use the box cutter on Joe, telling him that he can't live with what Joe has done yet can't bring himself to make him pay. He then walks away, leaving Joe alone.

Appearances[]

Series 1 Series 2 Series 3
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