Ohio Mother Accused of Ordering Husband and 4-Year-Old Son Into Lake to “Prove Their Worthiness,” Leading to Both Deaths

TUSCARAWAS COUNTY, Ohio — A 40-year-old Ohio mother has been denied bond after prosecutors say she ordered her husband and 4-year-old son into a lake during a religious “test of worthiness,” resulting in their deaths at Atwood Lake.

The suspect, Ruth Miller of Millersburg, faces two counts of aggravated murder, two counts of domestic violence, and one count of child endangerment after allegedly commanding her family to perform “tasks” she claimed were ordered by God.

From Fishing Trip to Tragedy

Detective Adam Fisher testified Monday that Miller told investigators she and her husband, Marcus Miller, were awakened by “God’s voice” after returning from a family boating trip on the evening of August 23.

By dawn, she claimed, she and Marcus began “testing” their faith in the water. Marcus allegedly drowned after failing one of these “tests” — swimming to a nearby sandbar — while Miller stood on the dock praying.

Child Thrown Into Lake as “Offering”

Fisher said Miller admitted she then threw her 4-year-old son Vincen into the lake, describing how she watched him “go under the water and pop back up” before he drowned.

Sheriff Orvis Campbell told reporters Miller believed Vincen had become “the price to pay” after she and Marcus “failed God’s tests.”

Miller also allegedly forced her three older children — a 15-year-old daughter and twin 18-year-old sons — to lay on the dock with their hands in the water to “pray for their little brother and father” because “they had gone to heaven”.

Golf Cart Crash and Arrest

Authorities said Miller then crashed a golf cart with her remaining children inside, claiming God had told her to drive into the lake. Witnesses at the marina reportedly saw her praying on the dock and later attempting to prevent others from helping.

Miller was initially held at a mental health facility from August 23 to September 1 before being booked into the Tuscarawas County Jail earlier this month. She has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity and was denied bond Monday after a judge deemed her a “substantial risk of serious physical harm”.

The case has shocked Ohio’s Amish community and raised urgent questions about mental health and religious delusion. For more breaking crime updates and justice news, follow ChicagoMusicGuide.com.