In a quiet corner of Ohio’s Amish country, a family getaway turned into a heart-wrenching tragedy that has left a community reeling and authorities grappling with a complex case. Ruth R. Miller, a 40-year-old mother from Millersburg, Ohio, faces charges of aggravated murder after allegedly throwing her 4-year-old son, Vincen, into Atwood Lake, claiming she was acting on divine instruction. The incident, which unfolded on August 23, 2025, came just hours after her husband, Marcus J. Miller, drowned in the same lake during what authorities describe as a “test of faith.” As details emerge, this devastating story raises questions about mental health, religious conviction, and the pressures within insular communities. Here’s a closer look at the events that led to this unthinkable loss.
A Family Outing Turns Deadly
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The Miller family arrived at Atwood Lake, about 82 miles south of Cleveland, on Friday, August 22, 2025, for what was meant to be a celebratory getaway. It was Ruth Miller’s birthday, and the family, traveling in a recreational vehicle, settled near Atwood Marina West. But by Saturday morning, the trip took a catastrophic turn. Around 10:30 a.m., authorities received a report of a golf cart plunging into the lake, driven by Ruth with her three older children—a 15-year-old daughter and twin 18-year-old sons—on board. The Tuscarawas County Sheriff’s Office later described the act as “intentional,” with Ruth allegedly telling investigators that God had directed her to drive into the water to prove her family’s faith.
The three older children managed to escape the submerged golf cart unharmed, but the incident raised immediate concerns for the safety of Ruth’s 4-year-old son, Vincen, and her husband, Marcus, who were nowhere to be found. As deputies questioned Ruth, she made chilling statements about “conversing with God” and admitted to throwing Vincen into the lake “to give him to God,” according to Sheriff Orvis Campbell. The search focused near a dock where the family had been seen earlier, and by 6 p.m. Saturday, divers recovered Vincen’s body from the lake bed, just 10 feet from the dock’s edge. Marcus’s body was found early Sunday, 53 yards away, after an extensive search.
A “Test of Faith” Gone Wrong
The events leading to the deaths of Vincen and Marcus Miller were steeped in what Sheriff Campbell called a “spiritual delusion.” Ruth told investigators she believed she could walk on water, a claim she tested by stepping off the dock, only to fall into the lake. She and Marcus had been at the same dock earlier, jumping into the water to “prove their worthiness to God,” Campbell said at a Monday press conference. Marcus, 45, had reportedly attempted to swim to an offshore sandbank around 1 a.m. Saturday in another act of faith, but he drowned in the process. His body wasn’t recovered until the following day.
Ruth’s statements to authorities painted a picture of a woman in deep mental distress. “She began to express more that she had thrown the child in the water to give that child to God,” Campbell said, noting that she seemed unaware of the gravity of her actions. Lead investigator Capt. Adam Fisher echoed this, stating, “It did not appear that the gravity of the situation had sunk in.” Witnesses reported seeing the family behaving erratically earlier that morning, stopping to pray at various spots around the lake, their heads touching in moments of intense devotion.
Charges and a Community in Shock
On Wednesday, August 27, Ruth Miller was charged with two counts of aggravated murder in connection with Vincen’s death, one count enhanced because the victim was younger than 13, according to New Philadelphia Municipal Court records. She also faces two counts of domestic violence and one count of child endangerment related to the golf cart incident involving her older children. As of late Wednesday, Ruth had not been arrested and was receiving treatment at a secure mental health facility. Her attorney, Scott Fromson, was unavailable for immediate comment.
The Miller family’s church and relatives issued a statement distancing the tragedy from Amish teachings. “The deaths do not reflect our teachings or beliefs but are instead a result of a mental illness,” they said, noting that Ruth and Marcus had received professional help in the past and were supported by their community. The surviving children, described as “extremely confused” and upset, were released to relatives. Campbell highlighted their mindset, saying, “Their mindset was that whatever their mother and father says is the way it is. They don’t question anything. So when they were told to jump in the lake, they jump in the lake.”
Mental Health and the Amish Community
The tragedy has sparked broader conversations about mental health support within Amish communities, which often prioritize internal resolution over external intervention. Advocates for abuse victims among the Amish have long argued that church leaders need to treat abuse and mental health crises as issues requiring civil authorities, not just church discipline. While some Amish communities have begun to recognize the seriousness of mental health issues, reliance on lay counselors or unlicensed religious treatment centers can fall short of professional care, according to reports.
Holmes County, where the Millers lived, is home to one of the largest Amish populations in the U.S. The family’s trip to Atwood Lake was a rare venture beyond their tight-knit community, and the public nature of the tragedy has drawn attention to the challenges of addressing mental health in such settings. Ruth’s reported mental crisis, coupled with her claims of divine guidance, underscores the complexity of the case, as authorities await autopsy results to determine the precise causes of death for Vincen and Marcus.
A Call for Compassion and Awareness
As the investigation continues, led jointly by the Tuscarawas County Sheriff’s Office and the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District, the community is left to mourn two lives lost and support three children grappling with unimaginable loss. Sheriff Campbell called the incident an “unusual tragedy,” emphasizing that Marcus was not involved in endangering the children. The case has also prompted calls for greater awareness of mental health resources, with organizations like the National Domestic Violence Hotline (1-800-799-7233) and the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline (1-800-422-4453) offering support for those in crisis.
For now, Ruth Miller remains in a mental health facility, her future uncertain as legal proceedings loom. The story of the Miller family serves as a sobering reminder of the delicate interplay between faith, mental health, and the responsibilities of parenthood. In the wake of this tragedy, the hope is that communities, both Amish and beyond, will rally to provide the support needed to prevent such losses in the future.
