Introduction to the Incident
An Amish woman who told authorities she was testing her faith when she threw her 4-year-old son into an Ohio lake was charged Wednesday with two counts of aggravated murder in the boy’s death.
The Charges Against Ruth Miller
Authorities said Ruth R. Miller, 40, of Millersburg, Ohio, told investigators she believed she was acting at the direction of God when she allegedly killed her son Vincen at Atwood Lake early Saturday. The lead investigator with the Tuscarawas County Sheriff’s Office, Capt. Adam Fisher, said Wednesday that Ruth Miller repeatedly said in interviews with police that she threw the boy off the dock and into the water to give him to God.
Investigation Details
“It did not appear that the gravity of the situation had sunk in,” Fisher said. The woman’s husband, Marcus J. Miller, 45, had apparently drowned while attempting to swim to an offshore sandbank hours earlier in another test of faith, Sheriff Orvis Campbell told reporters at a news conference Monday. Their other children, a 15-year-old girl and twin 18-year-old boys, were also directed to perform water-based trials of their belief but survived, Campbell said.
Additional Charges and Mental Health
New Philadelphia Municipal Court online records indicate Ruth Miller was also charged with domestic violence and child endangerment regarding the older children. Authorities said Ruth Miller was receiving treatment at a secure mental health facility and had not been arrested by late Wednesday afternoon. A message seeking comment was left for her attorney, Scott Fromson.
Response from the Amish Community
Family members and the Millers’ church said in a statement that the deaths “do not reflect our teachings or beliefs but are instead a result of a mental illness. The ministry and extended family had been walking with them through their challenges, and they had also received professional help in the past.”
Events Leading to the Tragedy
Campbell said Ruth Miller told investigators she believed she could walk on water but when she tried doing so off the end of the dock, she simply fell into the water. “She and her husband went to this dock and they jumped in the water because God was speaking to them and telling them to do things, things to prove their worthiness to God,” Campbell said. Marcus and Vincen Miller were apparently both dead when authorities were called Saturday morning for a report of a golf cart having gone into the lake. Campbell said Ruth Miller had driven it at a high speed into a stone wall on the lake shore with the three older children on board. The cart ended up fully submerged but visible, and her three children stood on it before getting out of the water. Skid marks are shown on the sidewalk at Atwood Lake Marina West, where a woman drove a golf cart into the water on Aug. 23. She and her three teenage children survived, but her husband, 45, and son, 4, were found dead in another area of the lake. (Nancy Molnar / The Repository / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
Rescue Efforts and Confessions
When a rescuer tried to get Ruth Miller out of the water, she told them to “just pray for her,” Campbell said. Park rangers heard “concerning type statements” from Ruth Miller, the sheriff said: “There was a pretty immediate statement made that she had given her son to the Lord.” Authorities soon realized her husband and 4-year-old son were missing. “She began to express more that she had thrown the child in the water to give that child to God,” Campbell said. “But we didn’t know where in the water — it’s a big lake.” He said Ruth Miller was in mental crisis.
Search and Discovery of the Bodies
Searchers focused near the dock where authorities said the Millers had apparently tried to walk on water the night before. Around 6 p.m. Saturday, a diver found Vincen on the lake bed not far from the end of the dock. Early Sunday morning, divers found Marcus Miller’s body 53 yards from the dock. The coroner said autopsies and an investigation will determine the manner of the two deaths.
Condition of the Surviving Children
The couple’s surviving children were “extremely confused" and upset, Campbell said. “Their mindset was that whatever their mother and father says is the way it is. They don’t question anything. So when they were told to jump in the lake, they jump in the lake," he said.
The Amish Community and Abuse
Amish are part of a Christian movement professing non-violence although they have their cases of domestic violence and sexual abuse. Advocates for abuse victims among the Amish say that although church leaders have acknowledged the problem, they need to do more to respond to abuse as a crime to be reported to civil authorities, not just as a matter of church discipline.
Conclusion
The incident highlights a tragic case of faith potentially misinterpreted to justify harmful actions, leading to devastating consequences. The Amish community’s response indicates a recognition of the incident as a result of mental illness rather than a reflection of their teachings. The case underscores the importance of addressing mental health issues and the need for a balanced approach to faith and reality.
FAQs
- What were the charges against Ruth Miller?
- Ruth Miller was charged with two counts of aggravated murder, domestic violence, and child endangerment.
- What was the reason given by Ruth Miller for her actions?
- Ruth Miller claimed she was acting under the direction of God and testing her faith.
- What happened to Marcus Miller?
- Marcus Miller drowned while attempting to swim to an offshore sandbank as part of a test of faith.
- How did the Amish community respond to the incident?
- The Amish community stated that the deaths did not reflect their teachings or beliefs but were instead a result of mental illness.
- What is the current status of Ruth Miller?
- Ruth Miller was receiving treatment at a secure mental health facility.
