The New South Wales state government took action after Daily Mail Australia revealed that a university student who killed his teenage girlfriend had been using Tinder while being held at a forensic centre.
Jordan Brodie Miller was sentenced to 20 years in prison after being found guilty of murdering 18-year-old Emerald Wardle in Metford, Hunter Valley, New South Wales, in June 2020.
Miller recently created a Tinder profile, as well as opening an Instagram account where she declared, “Happy to be here.”
Miller had taken half a tablet of LSD 11 days before strangling his teenage partner, who he claimed had been “trying to take my life”.
The key issue in Miller’s Supreme Court trial was whether he killed Ms Wardle during a drug-induced psychosis or whether she was experiencing symptoms of undiagnosed schizophrenia.
Miller was sentenced to a minimum of 13 years in prison in October 2022 after a jury rejected the defense that he had acted under a mental disability.
But in April this year, the Court of Criminal Appeal overturned the conviction after accepting that while in custody Miller had been diagnosed with schizophrenia.
The young man, now 24, has been under psychiatric care at Bloomfield Hospital in Orange, central west New South Wales, and has recently been using Tinder and other social media platforms, as well as being on supervised leave. in the community.
Jordan Brodie Miller (right) was jailed for 20 years after being found guilty of murdering 18-year-old Emerald Wardle (left) in Metford in the Hunter Valley, New South Wales, in June 2020.
On Sunday, a NSW government spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia that Miller “has had his Tinder and day licenses revoked and immediate action has been taken to ensure the community remains safe.”
NSW Mental Health Minister Rose Jackson has said she is reviewing this and similar cases with a view to officially tightening policy on the use of social media in such situations.
When the Court of Criminal Appeal unanimously determined that Miller was not criminally responsible for Ms Wardle’s death, the court sent his case to the Mental Health Review Tribunal to determine how and where he should be treated.
Miller remained in prison until he was transferred out of the Metropolitan Detention and Reception Center in Silverwater in early September and became a forensic patient.
Women in the Orange region who use the Tinder app said they found Miller’s profile and matched with him.
Several warnings were posted on Facebook message boards alerting others to the killer’s presence on Tinder.
“He’s actively talking to girls while in a mental hospital for (killing) his last girlfriend,” one post read.
“It’s extremely worrying that he’s on social media looking for girls after what he did.”
One woman wrote beneath the warning post: “I agreed with him and then read this awesome thing so thank you.”
Wardle’s family said discovering Miller was on Tinder and other platforms, contacting young women while serving a sentence for murdering Emerald, was “unbelievable.”
His aunt Kristy Smith said the family was shocked to discover what Miller was allowed to do online.
“He’s on dating sites and hooking up with young girls and we find that scandalous,” she told The Sunday Telegraph.
In a private online message to Miller, a woman who knew Wardle asked him if he was going to tell the women who had been contacted about his dark past.
“Do you plan to be honest with the people you interact with?” he asked.
Jordan Brodie Miller was jailed for 20 years after being found guilty of murdering 18-year-old Emerald Wardle in Metford, in the Hunter Valley, New South Wales, in June 2020. Pictured
Daily Mail Australia revealed that Miller recently created a Tinder profile and opened an Instagram account where he says: “Happy to be here.” One of your profile photos is shown.
“I’m sure you’re a lovely person but I’m not going to have this conversation, all you need to know is that I was going through a psychosis at the time of the offence,” he replied.
‘Very sad but true, I wish it didn’t happen.’
The friend persisted and wrote: “I just want to know this specifically about the social media situation because I know people who have seen you on Tinder etc.
‘Do you plan to be honest with them and tell them who you are from the beginning?’
He responded that “I wasn’t having this conversation like I said, but yes.”
Wardle’s aunt wrote to New South Wales Attorney General Michael Daley after learning of Miller’s online activity.
“It was very disturbing to discover through social media that Jordan now has the privilege of being released and is currently active on social media and dating sites where he informs young girls that he will be available in nine months,” wrote Ms. Smith.
He said he was told it would be years before he was released from prison and decades before he was released and that the words “it’s not like I’m going to walk the streets” were used.
“Could I request that we, as a family, have answers as to how and why Jordan has been allowed privileges such as day release and how he is allowed access to create social media accounts and dating profiles?”
Orange MP Phil Donato raised the issue in the New South Wales Parliament.
“Parents of young women would be horrified to know that this unsuspecting threat exists, because the women may not know they are interacting with a killer,” she said.
The NSW Government spokesperson said: “The circumstances of this case are tragic.
‘We recognize the continued pain experienced by the loved ones of the young woman who was murdered.
“We absolutely understand the concerns raised and the distress this would cause to the victims’ family, friends and community…
“The NSW Government is aware of serious concerns about how these cases are being treated and is considering changes in the area to improve the way cases are handled and further ensure public safety.”
