Young woman who 'loved life' is mysteriously found dead near Miami park... as sister slams cops who ruled death a suicide

Published: 07:14, 30 June 2026 | Updated: 07:28, 30 June 2026 The family of a 27-year-old Michigan woman found dead in a Miami park has rejected investigators' conclusions that she died by suicide, insisting 'It's the last thing she'd do'. To'Nea Nicole Miller of Flint, was found dead hanging from a tree with all of her personal property, near Gwen Cherry Park in Miami on June 18, as per officials.  Yet, mystery deepens over the woman's death as the Miami-Dade Sheriff's office announced Friday that detectives have found no evidence of foul play and are investigating the death as an 'apparent suicide'. 'Based on the evidence gathered, detectives have found no evidence that Ms Miller's death was the result of foul play.' said Major Vernon Williams during a press conference on June 26. He added, 'We understand this does not lessen the grief nor does it erase the difficult questions that follow a tragic loss.' Miller's aunt, Michele Howell, traveled to Miami to identify her niece's body. She told NBC6 on Friday that after speaking with the investigator assigned to the case and with the medical examiner, the family also believes Miller took her own life. 'After talking with the investigator on the case and speaking with the medical examiner ... it was suicide,' Howell said. '...After gathering information and investigating, it was not homicide.'  However other relatives of Miller are not buying it. To'Nea Nicole Miller,27, was found dead, hanging from a tree in Miami Park.  The death was ruled a suicide although Miller's sister staunchly disputes the notion. At a news conference with the Miami-Dade branch of the NAACP on Friday, Miller's sister vehemently opposed the claim. 'If anybody knew my sister To'Nea Nicole, that’s the last thing she would do. She loved life too much,' Teri Miller adamantly declared. The story has garnered vast community attention through social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook and X under the hashtag #JusticeForTonea. Miller had reportedly come to Miami to celebrate Juneteenth, as stated in a video by @myalamis and reposted by the official Black Lives Matter (BLM) Instagram account. However, according to Miller's sister Terri - Miller had been in Miami since February and was not there just for Juneteenth.  According to the Miami-Dade County Criminal Justice Online Case Search, Miller had a history of arrests in Miami and was charged with criminal mischief, battery, trespassing on property after warning and resisting an officer without violence. According to an arrest affidavit, officers arrested Miller on February 14, 2025 supporting Terri's claims that Miller was already in Miami for some time before the incident occurred.  There have been no reports online of a homicide investigation, although some social media users have speculated that her death is related to her previous criminal record. She said suicide would be highly unlikely knowing her sister's lust for life In the U.S., hanging is one of the three most common suicide methods. According to LegalClarity.org, police are required to investigate all reported suicides to officially establish the circumstances surrounding the death.  According to Florida statutes, a medical examiner or coroner cannot officially 'rule' a death as suicide before completing their full investigation and issuing a formal report. However, as of the time of the 'judgement,' on Friday the medical examiner’s report could not be released as autopsy reports in Florida for those who are found to have died by suicide are exempt from public record requests without permission from the next of kin. The case is continuing to gain attention, as questions and concerns are escalating in tandem with the sister's recent comments. The Daily Mail has reached out to Miami Dade County Police and Terri Miller for comment.  No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.