Topline: Authorities said the tragic deaths at Atwood Lake stemmed from Miller’s mental health crisis, leading to the not guilty verdict by reason of insanity.
Published: March 4, 2026 2:35 pm ET
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Ruth Miller (via Tuscarawas County Sheriff's Office)
NEW PHILADELPHIA, OH — Ruth Miller, the Amish mother charged in the drowning of her 4-year-old son at Atwood Lake last summer, was found not guilty by reason of insanity Tuesday.
Miller had waived her right to a jury trial, leaving Ernest to decide the outcome after a bench trial, according to WKYC.
“That’s the only conclusion that can be reached in this case based upon the evidence that has been presented to me,” Ernest said as he announced the verdict, according to WKYC.
Miller, 40, is scheduled to return to court on Friday, March 13, for a hearing to determine her placement moving forward. Until then, she remains in the Tuscarawas County Jail. Tuscarawas County Assistant Prosecutor Fred Scott told News 5 Cleveland that the state will argue she be placed in a locked-down mental health facility, while defense attorney Ian Friedman said Miller could eventually return to her family after receiving proper treatment.
The verdict came after multiple doctors concluded that Miller suffered from a severe mental disease and did not understand the wrongfulness of her actions at the time of the incident, WKYC reported. Friedman emphasized that the findings were unanimous and supported Miller’s plea of not guilty by reason of insanity.
Scott said there was no dispute that Miller committed the acts she was accused of, but the question was her mental state. “When you have a unanimous decision that the defendant did not understand the wrongfulness of her conduct, was in a psychotic state, the decision kind of writes itself,” Scott told WKYC.
The events that led to the deaths unfolded on the morning of Saturday, August 23, 2025, when Miller and her husband, 45-year-old Marcus Miller, brought their family from the Holmes County Amish community to Atwood Lake, Tuscarawas County Sheriff Orvis Campbell said to WOIO.
Around 1 a.m., the couple, believing God was speaking to them, went to a dock and jumped into the water to carry out what Campbell described as tasks meant to prove their faith.
Marcus Miller, described by officials as an average swimmer, drowned while attempting to complete the tasks, Campbell said. Later, Ruth Miller put her 4-year-old son, Vincen, into the lake, telling deputies she had “given him to God,” Campbell told WOIO. She also drove a golf cart into the lake with her three older children — a 15-year-old daughter and 18-year-old twin sons — who were able to get out safely, News 5 Cleveland reported. Witnesses also described Miller having the teens lie on the dock and pray for Vincen and their father.
Authorities recovered Vincen Miller’s body near a dock around 6 p.m., and Marcus Miller’s body was found the following morning, WKYC reported. Sheriff Campbell said both parents had histories of mental health challenges, but there was no prior indication they planned to harm anyone. “She was clearly in a mental crisis, no doubt about it… It simply manifests itself in what we call a spiritual delusion,” Campbell said.
Miller had been indicted on seven charges, including aggravated murder, murder, felonious assault, child endangerment, and three counts of domestic violence involving her older children, WOIO reported. She pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity at her arraignment in September 2025, WKYC noted.
Friedman told WKYC that the verdict does not mean Miller “got away with murder.” “Ruth Miller would not have been involved in this case had it not been for the mental disease… She is mortified by the fact that she was involved in that situation on August 23rd, 2025,” he said.
Following the incident, the Miller family and their church issued a statement clarifying that the tragic events resulted from mental illness and did not reflect their religious beliefs. “At this time, our thoughts and prayers are with the family directly affected… We stand beside them in their grief and ask that their privacy, as well as that of the broader community, be respected during this difficult time,” the statement read, according to WKYC.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
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Amish Mother Found Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity in Drowning of 4-Year-Old Son
Authorities said the tragic deaths at Atwood Lake stemmed from Miller’s mental health crisis, leading to the not guilty verdict by reason of insanity.
By Jacob Charles
Published: March 4, 2026 2:35 pm ET
Ruth Miller (via Tuscarawas County Sheriff's Office)
NEW PHILADELPHIA, OH — Ruth Miller, the Amish mother charged in the drowning of her 4-year-old son at Atwood Lake last summer, was found not guilty by reason of insanity Tuesday.
Miller had waived her right to a jury trial, leaving Ernest to decide the outcome after a bench trial, according to WKYC.
“That’s the only conclusion that can be reached in this case based upon the evidence that has been presented to me,” Ernest said as he announced the verdict, according to WKYC.
Miller, 40, is scheduled to return to court on Friday, March 13, for a hearing to determine her placement moving forward. Until then, she remains in the Tuscarawas County Jail. Tuscarawas County Assistant Prosecutor Fred Scott told News 5 Cleveland that the state will argue she be placed in a locked-down mental health facility, while defense attorney Ian Friedman said Miller could eventually return to her family after receiving proper treatment.
The verdict came after multiple doctors concluded that Miller suffered from a severe mental disease and did not understand the wrongfulness of her actions at the time of the incident, WKYC reported. Friedman emphasized that the findings were unanimous and supported Miller’s plea of not guilty by reason of insanity.
Scott said there was no dispute that Miller committed the acts she was accused of, but the question was her mental state. “When you have a unanimous decision that the defendant did not understand the wrongfulness of her conduct, was in a psychotic state, the decision kind of writes itself,” Scott told WKYC.
The events that led to the deaths unfolded on the morning of Saturday, August 23, 2025, when Miller and her husband, 45-year-old Marcus Miller, brought their family from the Holmes County Amish community to Atwood Lake, Tuscarawas County Sheriff Orvis Campbell said to WOIO.
Around 1 a.m., the couple, believing God was speaking to them, went to a dock and jumped into the water to carry out what Campbell described as tasks meant to prove their faith.
Marcus Miller, described by officials as an average swimmer, drowned while attempting to complete the tasks, Campbell said. Later, Ruth Miller put her 4-year-old son, Vincen, into the lake, telling deputies she had “given him to God,” Campbell told WOIO. She also drove a golf cart into the lake with her three older children — a 15-year-old daughter and 18-year-old twin sons — who were able to get out safely, News 5 Cleveland reported. Witnesses also described Miller having the teens lie on the dock and pray for Vincen and their father.
Authorities recovered Vincen Miller’s body near a dock around 6 p.m., and Marcus Miller’s body was found the following morning, WKYC reported. Sheriff Campbell said both parents had histories of mental health challenges, but there was no prior indication they planned to harm anyone. “She was clearly in a mental crisis, no doubt about it… It simply manifests itself in what we call a spiritual delusion,” Campbell said.
Miller had been indicted on seven charges, including aggravated murder, murder, felonious assault, child endangerment, and three counts of domestic violence involving her older children, WOIO reported. She pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity at her arraignment in September 2025, WKYC noted.
Friedman told WKYC that the verdict does not mean Miller “got away with murder.” “Ruth Miller would not have been involved in this case had it not been for the mental disease… She is mortified by the fact that she was involved in that situation on August 23rd, 2025,” he said.
Following the incident, the Miller family and their church issued a statement clarifying that the tragic events resulted from mental illness and did not reflect their religious beliefs. “At this time, our thoughts and prayers are with the family directly affected… We stand beside them in their grief and ask that their privacy, as well as that of the broader community, be respected during this difficult time,” the statement read, according to WKYC.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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Latest Articles
Amish Mother Found Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity in Drowning of 4-Year-Old Son
Authorities said the tragic deaths at Atwood Lake stemmed from Miller’s mental health crisis, leading to the not guilty verdict by reason of insanity.
By Jacob Charles
Published: March 4, 2026 2:35 pm ET
Ruth Miller (via Tuscarawas County Sheriff's Office)
NEW PHILADELPHIA, OH — Ruth Miller, the Amish mother charged in the drowning of her 4-year-old son at Atwood Lake last summer, was found not guilty by reason of insanity Tuesday.
Miller had waived her right to a jury trial, leaving Ernest to decide the outcome after a bench trial, according to WKYC.
“That’s the only conclusion that can be reached in this case based upon the evidence that has been presented to me,” Ernest said as he announced the verdict, according to WKYC.
Miller, 40, is scheduled to return to court on Friday, March 13, for a hearing to determine her placement moving forward. Until then, she remains in the Tuscarawas County Jail. Tuscarawas County Assistant Prosecutor Fred Scott told News 5 Cleveland that the state will argue she be placed in a locked-down mental health facility, while defense attorney Ian Friedman said Miller could eventually return to her family after receiving proper treatment.
The verdict came after multiple doctors concluded that Miller suffered from a severe mental disease and did not understand the wrongfulness of her actions at the time of the incident, WKYC reported. Friedman emphasized that the findings were unanimous and supported Miller’s plea of not guilty by reason of insanity.
Scott said there was no dispute that Miller committed the acts she was accused of, but the question was her mental state. “When you have a unanimous decision that the defendant did not understand the wrongfulness of her conduct, was in a psychotic state, the decision kind of writes itself,” Scott told WKYC.
The events that led to the deaths unfolded on the morning of Saturday, August 23, 2025, when Miller and her husband, 45-year-old Marcus Miller, brought their family from the Holmes County Amish community to Atwood Lake, Tuscarawas County Sheriff Orvis Campbell said to WOIO.
Around 1 a.m., the couple, believing God was speaking to them, went to a dock and jumped into the water to carry out what Campbell described as tasks meant to prove their faith.
Marcus Miller, described by officials as an average swimmer, drowned while attempting to complete the tasks, Campbell said. Later, Ruth Miller put her 4-year-old son, Vincen, into the lake, telling deputies she had “given him to God,” Campbell told WOIO. She also drove a golf cart into the lake with her three older children — a 15-year-old daughter and 18-year-old twin sons — who were able to get out safely, News 5 Cleveland reported. Witnesses also described Miller having the teens lie on the dock and pray for Vincen and their father.
Authorities recovered Vincen Miller’s body near a dock around 6 p.m., and Marcus Miller’s body was found the following morning, WKYC reported. Sheriff Campbell said both parents had histories of mental health challenges, but there was no prior indication they planned to harm anyone. “She was clearly in a mental crisis, no doubt about it… It simply manifests itself in what we call a spiritual delusion,” Campbell said.
Miller had been indicted on seven charges, including aggravated murder, murder, felonious assault, child endangerment, and three counts of domestic violence involving her older children, WOIO reported. She pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity at her arraignment in September 2025, WKYC noted.
Friedman told WKYC that the verdict does not mean Miller “got away with murder.” “Ruth Miller would not have been involved in this case had it not been for the mental disease… She is mortified by the fact that she was involved in that situation on August 23rd, 2025,” he said.
Following the incident, the Miller family and their church issued a statement clarifying that the tragic events resulted from mental illness and did not reflect their religious beliefs. “At this time, our thoughts and prayers are with the family directly affected… We stand beside them in their grief and ask that their privacy, as well as that of the broader community, be respected during this difficult time,” the statement read, according to WKYC.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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