MILWAUKEE (Court TV) — A Wisconsin woman accused of fatally shooting a 26-year-old pharmacy student after the two smoked marijuana appeared in court Friday for her arraignment.
Jamica Mills, 31, entered a plea of not guilty through her attorneys during Friday’s brief hearing.
Jamica Mills enters court on Jan. 9, 2026 for her arraignment. (Court TV)
Mills is charged with first-degree reckless homicide with use of a dangerous weapon in the death of Ariel Spillner.
At a hearing in Dec., a detective testified that officers showed up at Mills’ residence on Nov. 4, 2025 in response to reports of a shooting. They found Mills lying unclothed on the floor with a gunshot wound to her stomach, Det. Zachary Cvetan testified. Spillner was also found inside the home near a couch with an apparent gunshot wound to her left shoulder, Cvetan said.
MORE | Defendant allegedly said she became ‘paranoid’ when victim asked for scissors
The detective said Mills had trouble recalling the incident, but shared an account when pressed to “tell the truth.” Mills said she had known Spillner for about a year, and the two had gone to a liquor store before returning to Mills’ home to smoke marijuana, Det. Cvetan testified.
Mills allegedly said the two became “paranoid” and Spillner began pacing the room in search of shears to cut a dog’s hair, according to the detective.
Mills “became paranoid that she was going to be stabbed,” the detective testified, so she went to a bedroom and retrieved a .380 semiautomatic handgun “in response to the scissor situation.”
Mills allegedly said she opened fire after Spillner made a gesture toward her, then turned the gun on herself, shooting herself in the stomach, the detective testified.
“Did she indicate if Ariel made threats to harm her?” prosecutor Ian Vance-Curzan asked the detective. “She did not,” Cvetan responded.
Inside the home, investigators found what appeared to be Mills’ shirt bearing a “charred” hole in it consistent with a close range gunshot, the detective testified. No such residue or markings were found on Spillner’s clothing, the detective said in response to a question from Mills’ lawyer. The detective also said no shears were found in the home.
If convicted of first-degree reckless homicide with the use of a dangerous weapon, Mills faces up to 65 years in prison.
Mill’s is due back in court on Feb. 19 for a scheduling conference.
Parts of this story were generated with the assistance of AI using information gathered and verified by a human journalist. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy before publication.
