PRESTONSBURG — Police testimony offered during a preliminary hearing for the father and son arrested last week following the death of John Salisbury say that both admitted to shooting the 27-year-old Hippo man at a strip mine.

Det. Jason Dials said both Robie Lee Miller, 27, and his father Robie Dean Miller, 44, confessed to shooting Salisbury, but that witnesses said it was the son who fired the shots.

Witnesses are also saying the shooting was the result of an argument between the three men over dead goats.

According to police, Salisbury approached the Millers and asked them about his dead goats, suspecting the Millers’ dogs might have killed them.

Robie Dean Miller, who is confined to a wheelchair, told police that he had taken a gun from Salisbury and then shot the Hippo resident.

Robie Lee Miller gave a different account in his confession, investigators said. The son says he tried to take Salisbury’s gun from him and it jerked and then went off, shooting Salisbury.

Salisbury was shot twice and investigators have concluded that the shots fired were from his own gun, which was later found in a truck belonging to the Millers.

Police have said that eyewitness accounts are in line with the son’s version of what happened.

Salisbury died from two gunshot wounds in the early morning hours on Sunday, March 7. The Millers were arrested shortly afterwards.

Robie Lee Miller was charged with murder while his father has been charged with tampering with physical evidence and falsely reporting an incident.

Robie Dean Miller was returned to the custody on a $100,000 cash bond while his son was given a $1 million cash bond.

The case has now been waived to a grand jury.