The 40-year-old woman accused of killing her 4-year-old son was seen in court Monday and pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity.
Ruth Miller, the woman accused of killing her 4-year-old son pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. (Scripps News Cleveland)
Ruth Miller was arraigned for a murder charge after allegedly drowning her son in Atwood Lake last month.
During Monday’s arraignment, prosecutors requested that Miller be denied bail and a no-contact order between her and the victims.
Miller was arrested on Aug. 23 after driving herself and her other three children into the lake. After the body of her 4-year-old was found, she was charged with murder, felonious assault, child endangering and domestic violence.
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If convicted on the aggravated murder charges, Miller could face a minimum of a life sentence with parole eligibility after 20 years and a maximum sentence of life without parole, the Tuscarawas County Prosecutor’s Office said.
The other charges are misdemeanors, each with a maximum sentence of 180 days’ incarceration.
Miller is facing charges after a family trip to the lake in late August ended in tragedy when she faced what the Tuscarawas Sheriff’s Office called a mental health crisis.
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Miller spent days in a mental health facility before being moved to the Tuscarawas County Jail.
During Monday’s arraignment, Judge Michael J. Ernest said Miller will be held at the jail until there is a bail hearing at a later date.
This story was originally published by Scripps News Cleveland, an E.W. Scripps Company.
