Judge Orders Holmes County Mother Committed After Son's Drowning Death

Ruth R. Miller, a 40-year-old Millersburg-area woman, will be sent to a locked psychiatric facility in Massillon after Tuscarawas County Common Pleas Judge Michael J. Ernest ordered her committed March 13, ten days after finding her not guilty by reason of insanity in the Aug. 23, 2025 drowning death of her 4-year-old son at Atwood Lake.

The commitment follows a case that shook Holmes and Tuscarawas counties alike. Witnesses told authorities they saw Miller drive a golf cart into Atwood Lake with her three teenage children last August. The teenagers were able to walk out of the water. Authorities said Miller then told them she had thrown her young son into the lake to "Give him to God." Miller's husband also drowned in the lake that day.

Miller had been charged with aggravated murder and endangering children. Judge Ernest presided over a bench trial before concluding she was not guilty by reason of insanity. At the March 13 commitment hearing, he heard from four mental health experts, two called by prosecutors and two by the defense, each of whom recommended placement at Heartland Behavioral Healthcare Center in Massillon. The experts disagreed on a specific diagnosis, with some testifying she suffers from bipolar disorder and others pointing to schizophrenia, but found common ground on a broader conclusion. "The overwhelming evidence is that she does have a mental illness," forensic psychologist Dr. Daniel Hrinko told the court.

Heartland, founded in 1898, provides inpatient care for acutely mentally ill adults from northeastern Ohio and operates as a secure facility where patients are not free to come and go. That locked structure factored directly into the experts' recommendation. A waiting list at the facility means Miller will remain in the Tuscarawas County jail until a bed becomes available; the judge said he was unsure how quickly Heartland could accommodate her.

Judge Ernest did not set a fixed term for Miller's placement. Under Ohio law, judges may confine defendants found not guilty by reason of insanity for mental health treatment for up to the sentence they would have received if convicted, and may release them once satisfied they no longer pose a threat to themselves or others. Ernest will review Miller's status in six months, then every two years afterward. Defense attorney Ian N. Friedman noted Miller may request reviews between those scheduled dates.

Assistant Tuscarawas County Prosecutor Fred Scott agreed with the placement and said Miller will probably remain under court supervision for the rest of her life. Someone identified only as Buffington told the court that if Miller had received proper treatment earlier, "more likely than not, we would not be here."

Friedman, who also agreed with the Heartland placement, urged the broader community to recognize what the case represents. "Be sensitive to those who are struggling and take it serious ... because anyone could end up in this situation if they don't get the care that they need in a timely fashion," he said. He added: "This was just really the saddest sort of case that you could have. Ruth Miller is a really good person and she is completely devastated."

Once Miller is transferred, Heartland staff will determine her course of care and she will return to court periodically for evaluation on whether she can eventually be released.