CHATTAROY, Wash. — Two families, originally bonded together by the love they shared for their children, are now bonded in shared trauma and pain.
Over the weekend, Calvin "CJ" Miller, 36, Dakota Miller, 17, Jack Miller, 10 and Delilah Miller, 8, were all found dead in an upside down car in the Salmon River just north of Riggins.
Zella Blair is the mother of Jack and Delilah. She said she's still processing her reality after a weekend of tears and tragedy.
"I don't know if I can get used to them not coming through the door after school and yelling for me again," Zella said. "They were huge. They were my whole life."
Blair said she dropped off Jack and Delilah Friday afternoon with their dad Calvin, much like any other weekend as a co-parent.
She said she didn't know Calvin would be taking the kids to visit his grandfather who's in hospice care. She later found out that Calvin, her kids, and Calvin's oldest daughter, Dakota, never made it to their destination.
"I just dropped to my knees... I just started crying," Zella said. "I just couldn't believe it."
Blair said Calvin's partner, Amberlynn, told her what had happened. She said she's also navigating her new life without the ones she learned to love the most.
"I feel really bad for Amber though because she did lose all four people of her household," Blair said. "Even though they weren't they weren't her blood kids. She was always really great to them. Calvin and Amber were always wonderful."
Amberlynn's stepfather Scott Henri shared a statement with KREM2 on her behalf:
"Words cannot express how devastating this loss is to our family. Calvin was a truly exceptional human being and we’re lucky to have had the time with him that we did. His kind heart and sensitive soul, not to mention his amazing sense of humor, brought a richness to our lives that can’t be replaced. He’d found his soul mate in Amberlynn, he fiercely loved her and all of his children & family.
Dakota, Calvin’s oldest, just turned 17 and was still deciding how she wanted to tackle the world after high school. She had amazing friends that brought her so much joy. We were looking forward to seeing the heights she’d reach in life, with her generous and caring heart.
Jack just turned 10 and was so proud to be in the double digits. He was so smart, loved to read, could figure anything out and was going to make waves in the world.
Our sweet Delilah, Calvin’s younger daughter, would have been 9 in August. She was so creative, loved to draw and color and was talented! Funny and sweet, always making sure everyone was taken care of, corn will always be pronounced “coin” in her honor.
Our heartfelt appreciation and gratitude for the love and support all have shown us."
Blair said Dakota was Calvin's daughter from a previous relationship, but lived with her dad and Amberlynn.
Blair said Jack and Delilah were taken from her just as they were beginning to blossom.
She said her son was making his first really good friend and her daughter was learning to write poetry.
"I'm just gonna miss so much, just being able to just go give them a hug and go give them a kiss and talk to them about their day," Zella said. "And just little conversations because it just, it just made my heart full. You know, just to hear all the little things they were learning and everything they were becoming, you know, day by day."
Fiancé Taylor Schaefer-Bishop said he's been supporting Blair as much as he can while also coping with losing his children.
"I've had to really be the foundation for her," Taylor said. "Before I met them, I wasn't a father. I had no experience being a dad. They honestly inspired me to be the man that I am today, step up in those shoes and become a father figure."
Schaefer-Bishop said he'll miss playing with Jack and Delilah and teaching them new skills.
"Just a month ago, I was teaching the kids how to swim," Schaefer-Bishop said. "I taught Jack how to split firewood. I mean, Jack and Delilah, we were all gardening for like the last couple months. We've been spending a lot of time gardening in the backyard and just doing a lot of landscaping and you know, foraging for mushrooms and I was teaching them how to shoot guns."
Schaefer-Bishop said even though he isn't Jack and Delilah's birth father, the pain doesn't hurt any less.
"It's just devastating to the ultimate degree," Schaefer-Bishop said. "I can't imagine anything worse."
Blair said she will always tell people how wonderful her kids were.
She said they were incredible older siblings to their younger brother, Barrett, Blair's four-year-old son from another relationship.
She said Jack and Delilah gave the world so much love.
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