Amish Mom Charged with Murdering Son, 4, After Throwing Him in Lake — Hours After Dad’s Own Shocking Death

Amish Mother Faces Murder Charges for Death of Son, 4, Follows Dad’s Tragic Drowning Skip to content PEOPLE Search Please fill out this field. Log In My Account Log Out Magazine Subscribe Manage Your Subscription Give a Gift Subscription Get Help Newsletters Sweepstakes Subscribe Search Please fill out this field. 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Miller charged with aggravated murder after son’s death By Samira Asma-Sadeque Samira Asma-Sadeque, a legal reporter at PEOPLE’s crime desk, reported on the tragic case involving Ruth R. Miller. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Guardian US, and HBO Max. People Editorial Guidelines and Ben Brachfeld Published on August 28, 2025 03:31PM EDT Leave a Comment Credit: Nancy Molnar / Canton Repository NEED TO KNOW An Amish mother faces murder charges following the death of her 4-year-old son, Vincen MillerThe child’s body was discovered near a dock, and Ruth R. Miller reportedly admitted to throwing him into the lakeMiller allegedly described the act as an “offering to God” and also drove her older children into the lake, who survived An Ohio woman, Ruth R. Miller, has been accused of aggravated murder, five days after an incident where she drove a golf cart into a lake with three of her children onboard, claiming it was a religious act. Miller, 40, was charged with two counts of aggravated murder on Wednesday, Aug. 27, as per court records in New Philadelphia Municipal Court. The Associated Press revealed that the charges are linked to the death of her 4-year-old son, Vincen, whom she confessed to throwing into Atwood Lake on Saturday, Aug. 23. According to Tuscarawas County Sheriff Orvis Campbell, Miller told authorities that she tossed her son into the lake as an “offering to God.” Additionally, she is facing charges of domestic violence and child endangerment for driving a golf cart with her older children into the lake, a situation where they all survived the ordeal. The tragic incident occurred just hours after Miller’s husband, Marcus J. Miller, 45, drowned in the same lake. Reportedly, he was attempting to swim to a sandbar far out in the lake as a demonstration of his faith in God, said Sheriff Campbell during a press conference. Although Miller was set to appear in court for arraignment on Thursday, the hearing was unexpectedly cancelled “until further notice” for reasons not disclosed at the time. It remains unclear whether Miller has entered a plea or retained legal representation. If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, you can contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or visit thehotline.org. The hotline provides confidential support in more than 170 languages and operates 24/7. 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