An Amish woman from Ohio, Ruth Miller, is accused of forcing her husband and 4-year-old son to drown in a lake in a faith-based ritual to “prove their worthiness to God.”
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As reported by WKYC, the incident occurred on Saturday, August 23. At around 10:39 a.m., local authorities responded to Atwood Lake after receiving reports of a golf cart that had gone into the lake.
Responding law enforcement agents learned that Miller had allegedly driven the golf cart into a stone wall before it crashed into the lake. From the get-go, the woman acted strangely, as Tuscarawas County Sheriff Orvis Campbell revealed that, when a witness offered help, she instead requested prayers.
Then, at that moment, the woman allegedly stated that “she had given her son to the Lord.” Inside the golf cart were three teenagers, the woman’s 15-year-old daughter and two 18-year-old sons. Both of them were left traumatized over what police allege was a series of “ritualistic-type stuff.”
However, the “son” she referred to, a 4-year-old boy named Vincen, was nowhere to be found.
‘Prove Worthiness To God’
An investigation revealed that, at around 1:15 a.m., Miller and her husband, Marcus, had arrived at a lake. Campbell alleged that the woman was “speaking” to God, “telling them to do things.” Those “things” were, according to police, bizarre swimming exercises and even allowing herself to be “swallowed by a fish.”
According to her, these activities or tests were done to “prove their worthiness to God,” Campbell said.
Once they got back to their RV, the woman reportedly expressed disappointment in him for failing to complete the tests. According to Campbell, Miller told her husband that “he didn’t have enough faith.”
To prove otherwise, he went back to the lake and attempted to swim to the sandbar at around 5:30 a.m., police say. He was never seen alive again.
Then, at around 8 a.m., Miller allegedly grabbed Vincen and threw him into the lake. As per Campbell, she did so as an “offering to God.” Miller would attempt to do the same with her teenage children, but all three managed to survive by swimming to safety, police alleged.
Campbell even alleged that Miller made her teenage children pray for their father and brother, who “had gone to heaven.”
Hours later, at around 6 p.m., police found the 4-year-old’s body at the bottom of the lake. On Sunday, August 24, at around 8:30 a.m., Marcus Miller was also found in the lake. Police believe he didn’t have anything to do with what happened to his children, including Vincen.
As per The Associated Press, Ruth Miller was charged with two counts of aggravated murder on Wednesday, August 27.