Ohio Mother Charged in Deaths of Husband and Son at Atwood Lake
An Ohio mother accused of commanding her husband and young son to drown in Atwood Lake during what police describe as a “spiritual delusion” has been released from a mental health facility and booked into the Tuscarawas County Jail. Ruth Miller, 40, of Millersburg, faces two counts of aggravated murder, two counts of domestic violence, and one count of child endangerment in connection with the deaths of her husband Marcus Miller, 45, and their 4-year-old son, Vincen.
Miller had been held at a secure hospital from August 23 until September 1 for psychiatric evaluation. She was formally charged on Monday and is scheduled for a bond and preliminary hearing on Friday morning. Court officials confirmed that she has been ordered to have no contact with certain “protected persons,” though those individuals have not been publicly identified.
Investigators allege that Miller told her family to perform bizarre spiritual “tests” that she claimed were commanded by God. According to Tuscarawas County Sheriff Orvis Campbell, Miller confessed to hearing voices she believed to be divine instructions. On the morning of the incident, she allegedly ordered Marcus Miller to swim as part of a test of faith. He drowned in the lake after failing to reach a sandbar, according to authorities.
Following his death, Miller allegedly told police she demanded that their young son Vincen also enter the water “as a punishment” and offering. Witnesses reported seeing Miller drive dangerously near the lake that morning before Vincen drowned. Sheriff Campbell said Miller later admitted to throwing the child into the water herself.
Authorities also revealed that Miller allegedly attempted to involve her other children, aged 15 and 18. At one point, she reportedly instructed them to lie down on the dock and place their hands in the water to pray for their deceased father and brother. Soon after, Miller allegedly drove a golf cart carrying her three surviving children into the lake, but they escaped without injury.
Police say Miller made chilling remarks after the incident, refusing help from witnesses and instead asking them to pray. Campbell noted that her comments suggested from the beginning that the deaths were intentional and tied to her delusional beliefs.
The Miller family were members of the Old Order Amish Church in Holmes County. Sheriff Campbell said the family had been on a weekend trip to Atwood Lake that started out normally. “I do not think it was a plan,” he told reporters. “I believe that based on detailed conversations with the family, they were just going to the lake.”
As the case moves forward, Miller’s mental state is expected to play a central role in court proceedings. Prosecutors have not yet released full charging documents, but Miller is being held on serious felony charges that could result in life imprisonment if she is convicted.
