Amish Woman Who Drowned Son, 4, Won’t Go to Prison

UPDATE — Mar. 5, 2026, 2:45 PM CST

An Amish woman who drowned her 4-year-old son in an Ohio lake and told police she “gave him to God” has been found not guilty by reason of insanity.

Judge Michael Ernest said three separate mental health evaluations determined that Ruth Miller suffered from a mental illness that prevented her from understanding that her actions were wrong. Miller had waived her right to a jury trial.

Authorities say that hours after drowning her son at Atwood Lake, Miller drove a golf cart into the lake with her 15-year-old daughter and her 18-year-old twin sons. All three survived. Earlier that day, Miller’s husband had drowned while swimming in what was described as a “test of faith.” Miller later told police he had been “swallowed” by a fish.

Miller, 40, has been held without bail in the Tuscarawas County Jail since her arrest on Aug. 23, according to the Canton Repository. A hearing next week will determine where she will be placed for psychiatric treatment. Prosecutors are seeking commitment to a secure state facility, while defense attorney Ian Friedman says the defense hopes she will be treated in a less restrictive setting and eventually be able to return to her family.

Earlier — Aug. 27, 2025

Authorities charged Miller with two counts of aggravated murder in the death of her son, Vincen, after the incident at Atwood Lake early on Aug. 23.

Investigators say Miller told them she believed she was acting on God’s instructions when she threw the boy from a dock into the water. Capt. Adam Fisher of the Tuscarawas County Sheriff’s Office said Miller repeatedly told police she had thrown the child into the lake to “give him to God.”

Fisher added that during interviews, Miller did not appear to grasp the seriousness of the situation.