Fatal Hamptons Fire Triggers Major Safety Regulation Review

An owner of a Hamptons rental property has pleaded guilty to negligent homicide after a deadly fire exposed significant lapses in property safety regulations.

At a Glance

Peter Miller, owner of a Hamptons rental property, pleaded guilty to negligent homicide.
The fire, caused by an illegal outdoor kitchen, resulted in the deaths of two Maryland sisters.
The rental property lacked essential safety measures like working smoke detectors.
The resulting case will lead to a revision of rental safety regulations.

Guilty Plea in Tragic Hamptons Fire

Peter Miller, the owner of a $1.8 million summer rental in the Hamptons, has pleaded guilty to negligent homicide following a catastrophic fire that killed Jillian Wiener, 21, and Lindsay Wiener, 19. The electrical fire stemmed from an illegal outdoor kitchen that overloaded the house’s wiring. This plea highlights significant lapses in property safety and aims to prevent future tragedies.

The fire occurred around 3:30 a.m. on August 3, 2022. The Wiener family from Maryland rented the house through HomeAway for $8,000. Tragically, the sisters were trapped upstairs and had no chance of escaping. Their terminally ill father, Lewis Wiener, made futile attempts to save them but was ultimately unsuccessful. Both sisters were pronounced dead at Stony Brook University Hospital.

Owner of popular Hamptons summer rental pleads guilty to homicide after fire kills Maryland sisters https://t.co/zkGaNfySIr pic.twitter.com/NtovTuc6Fc

— New York Post (@nypost) August 28, 2024

Lack of Safety Measures

The rental home lacked basic safety precautions, such as functioning smoke detectors and unblocked kitchen vents, turning it into a potential death trap. These oversights were so critical that Suffolk County DA Raymond Tierney emphasized how essential proper housing regulations are for public safety. The Millers’ lack of attention to these regulations resulted in the tragic loss of two young lives.

“Defendants’ greed, corner-cutting, and willful failure to give any thought to the safety of the occupants of the premises led to the deaths of Jillian Rose Wiener and her sister Lindsay Eliza Wiener,” read a statement from the attorneys for the Wiener family.

Peter Miller admitted to personally conducting the dangerous wiring without any professional safety inspections. His admission included that the overloaded circuit knocked out the house’s smoke detectors, which lacked backup batteries. Miller’s wife, Pamela, pleaded guilty to reckless endangerment and was sentenced to 100 hours of community service.

Owner of popular Hamptons summer rental pleads guilty to homicide after fire kills Maryland sisters https://t.co/3uHebEEph2 pic.twitter.com/9YqOcCmPOf

— New York Post Metro (@nypmetro) August 28, 2024

Legal Repercussions and Regulation Overhaul

Peter Miller was sentenced to three years probation and 200 hours of community service, with a stipulation that he could face up to four years in jail if he violates the agreement. Additionally, the Millers will face charges in Southampton Town Court related to their home renovations. Sentencing is scheduled for November 7, and the surviving members of the Wiener family are expected to deliver victim impact statements. This incident has propelled concerns over rental property safety regulations into the spotlight.

This tragic event has incited immediate calls for stricter enforcement of safety regulations in rental properties. The oversight exposed in this case serves as a grim reminder of the importance of comprehensive safety measures and has triggered a movement towards improved regulatory standards to protect future tenants from such devastating incidents.

Owner of $8,000-a-week Hamptons rental home where young Maryland sisters were killed in deadly blaze on final vacation with dying dad pleads GUILTY to homicide https://t.co/9WUSmccbmp pic.twitter.com/lPp1qNH8F2

— Daily Mail US (@DailyMail) August 28, 2024

Sources

Quotes:

“You are aware that you overloaded the electrical system?” – prosecuting attorney Sheetal Shetty – [Source #1](https://nypost.com/2024/08/28/us-news/owner-of-popular-hamptons-summer-rental-pleads-guilty-to-homicide-after-fire-kills-maryland-sisters/), [Source #2](https://nypost.com/2024/08/28/us-news/owner-of-popular-hamptons-summer-rental-pleads-guilty-to-homicide-after-fire-kills-maryland-sisters/) “Yes.” – Peter Miller – [Source #1](https://nypost.com/2024/08/28/us-news/owner-of-popular-hamptons-summer-rental-pleads-guilty-to-homicide-after-fire-kills-maryland-sisters/), [Source #2](https://nypost.com/2024/08/28/us-news/owner-of-popular-hamptons-summer-rental-pleads-guilty-to-homicide-after-fire-kills-maryland-sisters/) “I am now aware. Yes. Yes. Yes.” – Pamela Miller – [Source #1](https://nypost.com/2024/08/28/us-news/owner-of-popular-hamptons-summer-rental-pleads-guilty-to-homicide-after-fire-kills-maryland-sisters/), [Source #2](https://nypost.com/2024/08/28/us-news/owner-of-popular-hamptons-summer-rental-pleads-guilty-to-homicide-after-fire-kills-maryland-sisters/) “Rather than fond memories of a week’s vacation on Long Island’s east end, the Wiener family is left with a nightmare from which they cannot wake. “Defendants’ greed, corner-cutting, and willful failure to give any thought to the safety of the occupants of the premises led to the deaths of Jillian Rose Wiener and her sister Lindsay Eliza Wiener.” – [Source #3](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13784309/owner-hamptons-home-maryland-sisters-killed-fire-guilty.html)

Videos:

LONG ISLAND RENTAL HOME OWNERS PLEAD GUILTY TO CHARGES IN DEADLY 2022 FIRE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3N9PM90ddQ4 EPISODE 053: MILLIONAIRE MURDERS: TED AMMON – MURDER IN THE HAMPTONS – PART 2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33hvOCoPdzQ MURDER IN THE HAMPTONS | FULL EPISODE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQvFIIstuPs THE EAST HAMPTON MURDER | KILLER PSYCHE DAILY | PODCAST https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5wL3qIbMX8 THE MURDER IN EAST HAMPTON | TED AMMON | CRIME DOCUMENTARIES https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQ5FXbYak-g EPISODE 052: MILLIONAIRE MURDERS: TED AMMON – MURDER IN THE HAMPTONS – PART 1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fY_jg45gXEA PANDEMIC SQUATTERS ALLEGEDLY TRASHED HAMPTONS MANSION https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slRaMVkTDUI REVENGE FOR REAL: MURDER IN THE HAMPTONS https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbpJ4uuI7Zo TRAGEDY IN THE HAMPTONS https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riBH4e-qFnY REVENGE FOR REAL: MURDER IN THE HAMPTONS https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_PGOQ1xCdw

Tweets:

https://twitter.com/nypost/status/1828841517575819714 https://twitter.com/nypmetro/status/1828841328433561766 https://twitter.com/DailyMail/status/1828783123712147759