Robert Miner Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Murder

LUBBOCK, TX — In the midst of the COVID-19 lockdown on May 11, 2020, 34-year-old Robert "Dozer" Miner was arrested and charged with the murder of 28-year-old Cody Moreno. Miner shot Moreno to death in what police described as the culmination of a personal feud.

According to the police report, two days earlier on May 7, 2020, Miner and Moreno had been engaged in a heated dispute, both in person and via Facebook Messenger. Miner, known in Lubbock as "Dozer," apparently took the online exchange seriously. He sought revenge, and according to accounts from Moreno's father and Miner's girlfriend, he had already threatened Moreno with a gun on two previous occasions.

On the night of the murder, Miner, driving a white Jeep Cherokee belonging to his mother, staked out Moreno outside the Park Tower Apartments at 1617 27th St. Moreno drove a Toyota Camry.

At approximately 8 p.m., police responded to a 911 call reporting a car crash and gunfire in the 1700 block of 30th Street. Investigators later determined that Miner had followed Moreno from the apartment complex, driving his mother’s Jeep down Avenue Q. When Miner caught up to Moreno, he deliberately collided with the Camry. Miner then pulled a handgun and shot Moreno dead as he sat in the driver’s seat.

Miner was arrested at his mother’s house in Shallowater on May 11. When asked about the damage to her Jeep, Miner had told his mother that he had been involved in a fender-bender at 98th Street and I-27. She reported the incident as a hit-and-run, and photographs she sent to the police ultimately led investigators to gather evidence from the damaged Jeep, which was parked at a Lubbock car dealership.

Charged with murder, Miner has been in the Lubbock County Jail since his arrest.

At his court appearance today, however, Miner presented a much different figure than the gun-wielding killer described in the reports. Shackled at the hands, arms, and feet, he was escorted through the formalities of the courtroom, pleading guilty to the charge of murder. He wore sunglasses, presumably for medical reasons, and was dressed in black jail garb.

Miner’s lead attorney, Jeff Nicholson, appeared via Zoom from Las Vegas, where he mentioned he had watched the Tropicana Hotel be demolished the night before. "They're building a new and better hotel there," Nicholson remarked. Matt Morrow, Nicholson’s colleague, was present in the courtroom and guided Miner through the proceedings as Judge William R. Eichman, II presided.

Before the court could hear Miner’s plea, he was arraigned on a second charge related to the incident—deadly conduct for discharging a weapon at a vehicle in traffic. It was described as a formality, and Miner pleaded not guilty (or not true) to that charge.

During the plea hearing, the prosecution raised an objection to the paperwork, noting that a box indicating Miner could no longer possess a firearm had not been checked. The court reporter quickly corrected the error, and the proceedings resumed.

While the court was in recess to correct the paperwork, Judge Eichman inquired about the chirping sounds heard during Nicholson's Zoom call. Nicholson explained that they weren’t birds, but rather the sounds of garbage trucks backing up on the streets of Las Vegas.

With the paperwork finally in order, Judge Eichman returned to the case, reminding Miner of his rights and explaining that the maximum sentence for his crime was 25 to 99 years or life in prison. He also explained that he was bound to impose a sentence at or above the agreed-upon plea deal. Miner acknowledged the conditions.

Miner’s sentence was enhanced due to two prior felony convictions in Maricopa County, Arizona—a 2011 conviction for criminal damage and a 2012 conviction for misconduct involving deadly weapons. As a result, his minimum sentence was set at 25 years to life, instead of the standard 5 to life for murder. He was also subject to a $10,000 fine.

By the time Miner was ready to enter his plea, his attorney Nicholson had excused himself from the hearing. "Matt [Morrow] has the trust of my client, I'll let him take it from here," Nicholson said. Miner’s attorneys were court-appointed and paid for by Lubbock County taxpayers.

In the end, Miner entered a guilty plea.

Judge Eichman sentenced Miner, now 39 years old, to 30 years in prison and dismissed his other pending cases. Miner was remanded into the custody of the Lubbock County Sheriff, where he will begin serving his sentence. He received over 1,000 days of credit for time already served in jail.