Marion County Judge Charles F Miller Sentences Habitual Offender to 84 Days for Reckless Homicides of Two Innocent Victims

Official Picture of Charles F Miller who sentenced habitual offender to 84 days for reckless homicides.

Indianapolis, IN — On March 10, 2025, Marion County Superior Court Judge Charles F. Miller sentenced Kelli Anderson to 84 additional days in jail after she pleaded guilty to two counts of reckless homicide in the deaths of Dr. Brian Dillman and Kiana Burns. The ruling, which included three years of supervised probation and a 10-year license suspension, has sparked debate about justice and accountability in cases involving habitual offenders with a history of dangerous driving.

Anderson, an Indianapolis woman with a documented record of vehicular incidents, received the maximum three-year sentence for the reckless homicide charges but was credited for time already served while awaiting trial. As part of a plea agreement, prosecutors dismissed additional charges of criminal recklessness and agreed to cap the executed prison time at three years, with probation to follow.

A Trail of Tragedy

The case stems from two separate fatal crashes in 2022 that claimed the lives of beloved community members. On May 19, 2022, Dr. Brian Dillman, a 49-year-old emergency room physician and devoted father, was walking on a sidewalk near 49th and Meridian streets when Anderson’s car veered off the road and struck him. Dillman died at the scene. His wife, Erin, recounted the devastating moment, noting that Brian had stepped out for a walk before dinner with his daughter, likely listening to his favorite John Prine music through earplugs. “We know he was happy because it was a beautiful day in May, and that’s what he loved,” Erin said, reflecting on the family’s loss.

Investigators later revealed that Anderson, who has epilepsy, was advised by doctors after the Dillman crash that she posed a high risk to herself and others and should not drive for six months until cleared by a neurologist. Anderson reportedly acknowledged the instruction. Yet, less than a month later, on June 14, 2022, she was behind the wheel again when she caused another deadly crash.

Kiana Burns, a 28-year-old mother of four, was killed when Anderson’s car slammed into her stopped vehicle at 52nd Street and Keystone Avenue at nearly 70 miles per hour. Burns was the third car in a double turn lane, waiting at a stoplight, when Anderson’s high-speed collision triggered a chain-reaction crash. “It took them two hours to cut her out of the car,” said Burns’ mother, Denise Gatling, recalling the detective’s account. Burns left behind four young children, aged 8 months to 8 years, and a grieving family.

A History of Recklessness

Court records paint a troubling picture of Anderson’s driving history, with five documented crashes in the three years leading up to the fatal incidents:

• August 3, 2019: Anderson veered off Meridian Street, flipping her vehicle into a ditch. She told officers she might have had a seizure, citing her epilepsy.

• February 20, 2020: She allegedly ran a stop sign on Dean Road, colliding with another car.

• March 9, 2021: Anderson rear-ended a moving vehicle on Fall Creek Parkway near the Indiana State Fairgrounds.

• September 2, 2021: She struck another car on Allisonville Road, causing it to spin out while she hit a fire hydrant. Anderson claimed she was unaware of the collision.

• May 2, 2022: Just weeks before Dillman’s death, Anderson veered off Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street, striking a light pole after reportedly swerving to avoid another vehicle.

Remarkably, Anderson was never ticketed for traffic violations in these earlier crashes, raising questions about oversight and accountability for drivers with known medical risks.

Sentencing and Community Response

The plea deal and sentencing have drawn scrutiny from victims’ families and the public, who argue that 84 additional days in jail—coupled with probation and a license suspension—fail to reflect the gravity of losing two lives. Dr. Dillman was a respected physician whose work saved countless lives, while Burns was a dedicated mother whose absence leaves a void for her young children. “Out of eight cars, Kiana was the only injury,” Gatling said, emphasizing the preventable nature of her daughter’s death.

Critics point to Anderson’s history and her decision to drive despite medical warnings as evidence of systemic failures in addressing high-risk drivers. Supporters of the sentence, however, note that Anderson’s epilepsy may complicate questions of intent, and the plea agreement ensured accountability without a lengthy trial that could prolong the families’ pain.

Judge Miller’s decision to impose the maximum sentence within the plea agreement’s constraints reflects an attempt to balance legal limits with public safety. Anderson’s 10-year license suspension aims to prevent future incidents, though some question whether stricter measures could have been applied earlier to avert the tragedies.

Moving Forward

The deaths of Brian Dillman and Kiana Burns have left lasting scars on their families and the Indianapolis community. As the city grapples with this case, advocates are calling for stronger safeguards to identify and restrict high-risk drivers, particularly those with medical conditions that impair their ability to drive safely. For now, the 84-day sentence closes a painful chapter, but it also opens a broader conversation about justice, prevention, and the value of every life lost on the road.

This article is based on reporting from the Hoosier Enquirer and court records available as of April 10, 2025.