NEW PHILADELPHIA, Ohio (Court TV) — A Tuscarawas County judge denied bond for Ruth Miller, the 40-year-old Amish mother charged with aggravated murder in the drowning death of her 4-year-old son at Atwood Lake in August. Judge Michael J. Ernest ruled that Miller poses a substantial risk to the community and that no release conditions could ensure public safety.
Ruth Miller sits in court during a bond hearing on Sept. 29, 2025. (Court TV)
Miller appeared in court for the bond hearing after pleading not guilty by reason of insanity to charges including aggravated murder, murder, felonious assault, child endangering and domestic violence. The charges stem from an Aug. 23 incident where authorities say Miller threw her young son into the lake during what officials described as a mental health crisis involving “spiritual delusions.”
During the hearing, prosecutors argued Miller should remain in jail without bond, emphasizing the gravity of her actions and the unpredictable nature of her mental state.
“This is a mother who struggled with mental health issues, reportedly such that it concerned her family and church,” the prosecutor said during closing arguments.
The state presented testimony from three witnesses, including Ranger Rick Anderson, who responded to the initial 911 call about a golf cart in the lake. Anderson described finding Miller with her three other children, all of whom were wet, sitting on a bench near the water.
“Miller told police her son and husband were in the lake,” Anderson said.
Body camera footage played during the hearing captured Miller’s disturbing statements to law enforcement at the scene.
“I gave my son to God,” Miller said in the video.
When asked to clarify, Miller responded: “He’s at the bottom of the lake with the fish.”
Detective Adam Fisher, the lead investigator, testified about his interviews with Miller at the hospital following her arrest. Fisher said Miller initially kept a hospital sheet over part of her face and repeated that “Marcus was at the bottom of the lake, had been swallowed by a fish,” referring to her husband, who also died in the incident.
Fisher described interviewing Miller’s three surviving children – twin 18-year-old sons and a 15-year-old daughter. The detective said all three appeared traumatized by the incident.
The daughter told investigators her mother struggled with mental issues and described Miller as “frantic” on the day of the incident. Amber also revealed that Miller believed both the 4-year-old and her husband would return from the lake.
MORE | Amish mother charged with murder says ‘I gave him to God’ in bodycam
Sheriff Orvis Campbell testified that Miller had been receiving counseling and medication while in the county jail, where she has been described as a model prisoner with no behavioral issues.
The defense argued that Miller’s actions were the result of severe mental illness and requested that she be released to an inpatient mental health facility with eventual house arrest at a family member’s home. Her defense attorney emphasized that this was an isolated incident and that Miller had never posed a risk before.
“This would not have happened had it not been for mental illness,” the defense said during closing arguments.
However, Judge Ernest was not convinced that any release conditions could protect the community.
“You did not listen to the Bishop or to your family. You listened to what you believe God told you to do,” Ernest told Miller before denying bond.
The judge noted that the case involved multiple serious charges beyond just the murder count and that only lay opinions about Miller’s mental state had been presented, not expert testimony.
Ruth Miller, accused of killing her four-year-old son, is seen in bodycam footage from Aug. 23, 2025. (Tuscarawas County Sheriff’s Office via Scripps News Cleveland)
The tragic incident occurred during what was supposed to be a family outing to Atwood Lake. According to the sheriff’s office, the family of six belonged to the Old Order Amish Church. Church officials told the media that the events do not reflect their teachings but were the result of mental illness.
Authorities said the deadly chain of events was related to Miller and her husband initiating “spiritual tasks” in the water, with some described as “bizarre” by Sheriff Campbell. The sheriff said Marcus Miller likely drowned after being “disappointed in his performance” during these tasks.
Miller’s husband’s body was also recovered from the lake. She faces additional charges for allegedly driving a golf cart into the water with her three teenage children aboard.
If convicted on the aggravated murder charges, Miller could face a minimum sentence of life in prison with parole eligibility after 20 years, and a maximum of life without parole.
The judge indicated that the bond could be reviewed at a later date. Miller remains in the Tuscarawas County Jail awaiting trial.
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