Amish Woman Accused of Killing Her 4-Year-Old Son by Throwing Him Into an Ohio Lake

People stand over the site where investigators say 40-year-old Ruth Miller of Millersburg, Ohio, drove a golf cart into Atwood Lake, Ohio Aug. 23, 2025, after she allegedly killed her 4-year-old son by throwing him into the lake. Tuscarawas County, Ohio, Sheriff's Office via AP

An Amish woman who told authorities she was testing her faith when she threw her 4-year-old son into an Ohio lake was charged Wednesday with two counts of aggravated murder in the boy’s death.

Authorities said Ruth R. Miller, 40, of Millersburg, Ohio, told investigators she believed she was acting at the direction of God when she allegedly killed her son Vincen at Atwood Lake early Saturday.