The Amish mother who allegedly drowned her 4-year-old son in an Ohio lake before driving a golf cart with her three teenage children into the same lake in an attempt to kill her family is in custody after being released from a hospital where she received mental health treatment.
Ruth Miller, 40, has been charged with two counts of aggravated murder, two counts of domestic violence, and one count of child endangerment stemming from an incident on August 23 at Atwood Lake.
The mother of four allegedly confessed to purposefully drowning her 4-year-old son Vincen Miller and attempting to drown her three older children — a 15-year-old girl and 18-year-old twin boys — after speaking with God.
At a news conference, Tuscarawas County Sheriff Orvis Campbell said Miller told responding officers she did this because God told her “to allow herself to be swallowed by a fish to prove her worthiness.”
Campbell stated that Miller, whose visit to the lake coincided with her birthday, appeared to be suffering from “spiritual delusion.”
Miller is scheduled to appear in court on Friday, Sept. 5, but a source close to the investigation tells PEOPLE that appearance will most likely be pushed back because a grand jury is expected to return a formal indictment later today, Sept. 4.
“It is immediately apparent that Ruth, at the time of the tragic incident, suffered from a severe mental ailment that unequivocally prevented her from appreciating the wrongfulness of her conduct,” Ian Friedman, Miller’s lawyer, tells PEOPLE.
He went on to say, “I expect that this case will revolve around whether Ruth should be found not guilty by reason of insanity.” We’re confident she will be.”
Miller allegedly told deputies that she and her husband were staying at Lake Atwood with their children when they decided to walk to the lake shortly after midnight to complete a series of tasks she claimed God had given her.
Miller stated that after completing these tasks, she and her husband Marcus, 45, returned to their campsite.
However, when Miller returned to the campsite, Marcus expressed regret for his performance and informed her that he would be returning to the lake to prove his faith.
According to Campbell, he went to the lake alone and attempted to swim out to a sandbar, where he accidentally drowned.
When Marcus did not return, Miller drove her 4-year-old son to the lake around 6:30 a.m. and threw him in, telling deputies she had left him to drown “to give him to God.”
She then drove back to the lake with her daughter and twin sons, where she assigned them all tasks to demonstrate their worthiness to God, according to Campbell.
Families vacationing at the lake were unaware of Miller’s actions until they noticed her and the three older children huddled together and crying. They then watched as she piled the children into a golf cart and drove at high speeds into a stone wall before plunging into the lake.
According to witnesses, the three children climbed on top of the cart and got out of the water, but Miller refused help and insisted on being left in the lake.
When deputies arrived, Miller attempted to flee and hide in nearby bushes before being apprehended, at which point she discussed her conversations with God.
She also claimed she could walk on water and then fell into the lake, according to Campbell.
Miller was hospitalized the same day, and her three surviving children were sent to live with relatives.
The bodies of her son and husband were discovered at the bottom of the lake after a difficult search that lasted nearly 24 hours, Campbell said.
Miller was released from the hospital on September 1 and booked into the Tuscarawas County Jail.
