NEED TO KNOW
- Ruth Miller has entered pleas of not guilty by reason of insanity in the August deaths of her husband and 4-year-old son
- Miller allegedly drove a golf cart into a river with her three other children on board, all of whom survived
- Recently released bodycam footage shows her speaking with investigators immediately after the incident, where she allegedly reveals information that led police to her child’s body
Authorities in Ohio have released bodycam footage showing an Amish mom seemingly telling police she “gave” her 4-year-old child to God — before the child was found dead on a dock.
Ruth Miller, 40, is facing murder, assault and domestic violence charges after allegedly driving a golf cart into a river with her three other children aboard on Aug. 23, in Tuscarawas County, Ohio.
All four of them survived, but following the woman’s initial account provided to police — as revealed in the bodycam footage — authorities found the body of her husband Marcus Miller and their son Vincen Miller at a nearby dock.
In a new development this week, Ruth is now claiming she is not guilty by reason of insanity.
Bodycam footage obtained by News 5 Cleveland shows the mom of four making several statements, seemingly confessing that she “gave” her son to God and claiming her husband had been “swallowed” by a fish.
“I threw him in the lake and I gave him to God,” she allegedly tells officers in one part of the video. “He’s sweet. I love him. I gave him to God.”
At one point, she places her hand on one of the officers and says: “He is real. And he loves you. And he is coming soon,” seemingly in reference to God.
When asked about her husband, she tells police he is at the bottom of the lake.
Related Stories
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/atwood-lake2-82625-c9ee7c7d4a8f4b5285eb486b3ac26da8.jpg)
“It is immediately apparent that Ruth, at the time of the tragic incident, suffered from a severe mental ailment that unequivocally prevented her from appreciating the wrongfulness of her conduct,” Miller’s attorney, Ian Friedman, previously told PEOPLE in an exclusive statement.
On Monday, Sept. 8, Ruth entered pleas of not guilty by reason of insanity to all seven charges: one count of aggravated murder, one count of murder, three counts of domestic violence, one count of felonious assault and one count of endangering children, according to online court records reviewed by PEOPLE.
“As facts surrounding the tragic incident are further revealed, it becomes even clearer that Ruth was suffering from a mental health crisis that absolutely prevented her from appreciating the wrongfulness of her conduct,” Friedman told PEOPLE regarding Monday’s plea.
“She remains devastated and we will work to get her the mental health treatment that she needs,” he added.
Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.
In an online obituary posted after the deaths, Vincen is being remembered fondly by loved ones.
“He was such a sweet-natured and innocent child that lit up the room wherever he went,” read part of the obituary. “He will be dearly missed by his sister and brothers, grandparents, cousins, uncles and aunts.”
If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
Read the full article here


:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(749x0:751x2)/ruth-miller-bodycam-2-090925-57cc1b29177c41b6ac6a994b14b6e0a5.jpg)