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Mother Found Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity in Son’s Drowning | Crime House 24/7
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Hi, it's Vanessa. If you're drawn to true crime stories about disappearances, there's a new Crime House original you should check out. It's called the Final Hours, hosted by Sarah Turney and Courtney Nicole. Sarah's an advocate for missing and murdered victims whose own sister disappeared in 2001. And Courtney is a true crime storyteller who's seen firsthand how crime can change a family forever. Together, they bring lived experience to every case, examining the moments just before a person disappears. The routines, the timelines, the small details that often get overlooked because every disappearance has a moment where everything still feels normal until it doesn't. Listen to and follow the final hours on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes drop every Monday. Foreign.
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This is Crime House.
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Good morning everyone. We have multiple breaking true crime cases this morning that you need to know about. And we're starting with the biggest one. An Amish mother who drowned her four year old son in an Ohio lake last summer, telling officers she was giving him to God has been found not guilty by reason of insanity. Her husband also drowned that night as their three teenage children witnessed the events. This is Crime House 24 7, your non stop source for the biggest crime cases developing right now. Make sure to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Vanessa Richardson and we have quite a lineup for you today. Here's what you need to know. These days I'm really focused on quality over quantity. I'm raising my standards, especially when it comes to my closet. If it's not well made and versatile, I just don't bother. That's why I love quince. Their fabrics feel elevated, the cuts are thoughtful and the pricing is surprisingly reasonable. 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Go to Q u I n c-com crime house pod for free shipping and 365 day returns quince.com crime house pod On March 3, a Tuscarawas county judge found 40 year old Ruth Miller not guilty by reason of insanity in the drowning death of her four year old son Vincen at Atwood Lake in eastern ohi. Judge Michael Ernest delivered the verdict following a bench trial. Miller had waived her right to a jury last month and his ruling rested on five pieces of evidence, two police reports and three independent psychiatric evaluations. All three evaluations reached the same conclusion that Miller suffered from a form of mental disease that prevented her from understanding the wrongfulness of her conduct. Ruth Miller and her husband, 45 year old Marcus Miller, were members of the Old Order Amish Church in Holmes County, Ohio. They had four children together, twin 18 year old sons, a 15 year old daughter and Vincen, the youngest at 4 years old. The family traveled to Atwood Lake over the weekend of August 23, 2025 for what was supposed to be a family outing. According to Tuscarawas County Sheriff Orvis Campbell, the deadly chain of events began around 1am when Ruth and Marcus went to the dock and jumped into the water. Officials described that the couple was experiencing a spiritual delusion. They believed God was speaking to them and that they were carrying out tasks to prove their faith. Some of those tasks involved swimming. Others, the sheriff said were bizarre, including the belief that God told them to allow themselves to be swallowed by a fish. Marcus, described as an average swimmer, attempted to swim out to a sandbar and drowned. Then, around 8:30 that morning, Ruth returned to the dock with Vincennes. She placed him on a golf cart, drove him into the water and threw him in. The four year old drowned, but Ruth Miller was not done. Around 10:30am she loaded her three other children onto a golf cart and drove it into the lake. That incident triggered a 911 call which brought rangers and deputies to the scene. The three teenagers were able to climb out of the water on their own. They were physically unharmed, but, as Sheriff Campbell noted, deeply traumatized. On police body camera footage captured later that morning, Miller told officers what she had done. She said she threw him in the lake and gave him to God. She added that people were going to tell her she was crazy, but that God was real. When officers asked where her husband was, she said he was at the bottom of the lake inside a fish. A park ranger responded that no fish in Atwood Lake was large enough to swallow a person. It was only after first responders began treating Ruth and she started making those concerning statements that authorities realized Vincennes and Marcus were missing. Dive teams recovered Vincennes body near the dock around 6pm on Aug. 23. Marcus's body was found in the same area the following morning around 8:30am on Aug. 24. In September 2025, Ruth Miller was indicted on seven counts, including aggravated murder with prior calculation, design murder, felonious assault, child endangering and three counts of domestic violence. The child endangering charge related to her daughter, while the domestic violence charges involved all three teenagers. She was booked into the Tuscarawas County Jail after being discharged from a secure mental health facility where she had been held since August 23rd. Her bond was denied in late September, with Judge Ernest ruling she posed a substantial risk to the community. The Old Order Amish Church released a statement after the incident saying the events did not reflect their teachings or beliefs and were instead the result of mental illness. The church said the extended family had been walking with the Millers through their challenges and that Ruth had received professional help in the past. Her defense attorney, Ian Freedman, said he was convinced that Miller would never have harmed her children were it not for severe mental illness. It is important to note that a not guilty by reason of insanity verdict does not mean Ruth Miller is being set free. She will remain the Tuscarawas County Jail until a placement hearing scheduled for March 13, where both sides will argue over where she should be treated. If the judge orders Miller committed to a state psychiatric hospital, she could be held there indefinitely. Under Ohio law, a person found not guilty by reason of insanity can remain in a secure treatment facility for as long as they're considered a danger to themselves or others, potentially as long as the maximum prison sentence they could have received if convicted. Doctors at the facility will regularly evaluate her mental condition and report back to the court. Any request for release would require a judge's approval. After medical experts determine she no longer poses a threat, prosecutors are pushing for a locked down state psychiatric facility. The defense is hoping she may eventually be able to return to her family after treatment. And while that case now moves toward treatment and evaluation in Ohio, out in Utah, a missing person's case took a devastating turn this week when a woman's body was discovered inside her missing husband's camper. A Saratoga Springs, Utah, woman who had been reported missing alongside her husband last week has been found dead inside a camper trailer at a storage facility and her husband, now named a person of interest, has fled the state. On March 3, the Saratoga Springs police department confirmed that the body of 43 year old Heuselm Vitola was discovered inside an RV at a storage lot in Draper. The camper was registered to her husband, 57 year old Alvaro Jose Urbina Rojas. The case is now being investigated as a homicide. Vitola and Rojas, both originally from Merida, Venezuela, had been married for 19 years and have two children together, a daughter, Ariani, and a younger son. The family came to the United States about 10 years ago and applied for asylum. They'd been living in Saratoga Springs, a community about 35 miles south of Salt Lake City. Police said the couple had recently been discussing divorce. On the morning of February 26, Rojas was supposed to drive Vitola to work. That was the last time family members saw either of them. The couple did not return home that night. Family members later learned that Vitola never arrived at her job. They contacted the Saratoga Springs Police Department to report both of them missing, telling officers that neither was suicidal, had serious medical conditions or had any issues with law enforcement. Investigators immediately attempted to ping their cell phones. Vitola's phone had been turned off. Rojas's phone last pinged in the draper area about 20 miles north of Saratoga Springs. Officers searched the area but were unable to locate him or vehicle. However, they then learned that Rojas had a camping trailer at a storage facility in Draper on February 28th. Detectives went to check the trailer but found it locked and could not see anything through the windows. It was not until March 2 that investigators were able to obtain a search warrant for the camper. When they served it, they found the body of an adult woman believed to be Vitola inside. Authorities have not said how long Vitola may have been inside the trailer before her body was discovered, and Saratoga Springs police Police Chief Andrew Burton said the medical examiner is still conducting tests to narrow down the cause of death between two or three possibilities. In the meantime, Rojas had a significant head start. Burton told reporters that traffic camera footage showed the family's missing gray 2005 Toyota Sequoia with Utah license plates traveling through Cedar City, St. George and Las Vegas on February 26, the same day the couple disappeared. Credit cards associated with the family were used in Southern California that night. The vehicle was spotted on camera again in Southern California as recently as March 2. Burton noted that investigators could not confirm who was driving the vehicle from the footage alone. Multiple federal agencies, including the FBI, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the U S Border Patrol are assisting in the search. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Saratoga Springs Police Department. Their daughter, Ariani posted a public tribute to her mother on Facebook, writing that she would carry her in her heart for the rest of her life and promising to care for her younger brother. And from a case where a husband has fled to one that grabbed headlines across the country, an Arkansas father awaiting trial for murder has just won a primary for county sheriff.
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As someone who talks about crime every day, processing the things some people are capable of can get a little heavy. And having a therapist who I can talk to and who gives me extra support is incredibly helpful. On the other side of that, the root of most crimes I cover have to do with mental health, and making therapy and mental health support more accessible and affordable could have a significant impact. Rula does it differently. They partner with over a hundred insurance plans and have a network of over 15, 000 therapists and psychiatrists nationwide, enabling your personalized solution and the right therapist for you based on your needs, preferences and state requirements. With its diverse network of licensed, experienced professionals, Rula's therapists and psychiatrists make it easy for you to get the care you need. You can book as soon as tomorrow and they stick with you every step of the way. Thousands of people are already using Rula to get affordable, high quality therapy that's actually covered by Insurance. Visit rula.comcrimehouse to get started. After you sign up, you'll be asked how you heard about them. Please support our show and let them know we sent you. That's r u l a.com crimehouse. You deserve mental health care that works for you, not against your budget. On this show we spend a lot of time focused on details because details can change how you understand a case, and in travel, details change how you understand a place. Colette's small group Explorations tours are designed with that same focus on details. You're led by experts and locals who know the destination inside and out, and groups stay small with an average of just 19 travelers so the experience feels more personal. You might take part in a centuries old tea ceremony in Japan guided by the meaning and tradition behind every step. Or explore southern Africa on expert led safaris that spend multiple days on game drives, giving you time to truly understand the landscape and wildlife. With Colette, you get immersive travel built on thoughtful planning, local expertise and more than a century of experience behind it. For travel that gets the Details right, visit go colette.com podcast and use offer code TRAVEL26 to get $200 off select
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Colette Explorations tours in Lonoke County, Arkansas. 37 year old Aaron Spencer won the Republican primary for county sheriff on March 3. While awaiting trial on a second degree murder charge, Spencer defeated incumbent Sheriff John Staley and a third candidate, David Bufford, with approximately 54% of the vote. Staley, whose department arrested Spencer in 2024, received roughly 27%. Bufford received about 20%. More than 10,000 votes were cast, Staley conceded, posting a statement on Facebook congratulating Spencer and saying he respected the voter's decision. Spencer is charged with second degree murder in the October 2024 fatal shooting of 67 year old Michael Fosler. At the time of the shooting, Fosler was out on a $50,000 bond and facing 43 criminal counts related to Spencer's then 13 year old daughter, including Internet stalking of a child, sexual assault, sexual indecency with a child and possession of child sexual abuse material. A no contact order had been issued as a condition of Fosler's release prohibiting any contact with the minor, according to court records. Spencer's wife called 911 at 1:12am on October 8, 2024 to report their daughter missing from her bed. Spencer left the home to search the nearby roads. He said he located his daughter inside Fosler's vehicle on a highway in Lonoke county and that a confrontation followed. Spencer has admitted to shooting Fosler, who was pronounced dead at the scene. Spencer has pleaded not guilty to the murder charge. His defense attorneys maintain he acted within the law to protect his daughter from a predator. The case has drawn national attention and prompted online petitions calling for the charges against him to be dropped. Spencer, an army veteran who served in the 82nd Airborne Division with a deployment to Iraq, is also a farmer and general contractor from the Cabot area of Lonoke County County. He announced his campaign for sheriff last fall, describing himself as a father who acted to protect his daughter when the system failed. He said his experience motivated him to run for office. Spencer will face Democrat Brian Mitchell senior and independent candidate Larry Ben Key in the November general election. Spencer's murder trial was Originally scheduled for January 2026 but was postponed after the Arkansas Supreme Court removed the original judge from the A retired judge has taken over and a pre trial hearing to set a new trial date is expected in the coming weeks. If Spencer is convicted, he would not be able to serve as sheriff. From this unusual sheriff's race to another legal battle now unfolding in court, singer Justin Timberlake is trying to block the release of police body camera footage from his drunken driving arrest. Justin Timberlake has filed a lawsuit against the village of Sag Harbor, N.Y. and its police department in an effort to block the release of body camera footage from his 2024 arrest for driving while intoxicated. Timberlake's attorneys filed the suit March 2 in Suffolk County Supreme Court after learning the village planned to release the footage with certain redactions in response to public records requests from multiple media outlets, including the Associated Press and NBC News. In the filing, his legal team argued the video would devastate Timberlake's privacy and cause severe and irreparable harm to his reputation. They described the footage as showing Timberlake in an acutely vulnerable state during field sobriety testing, his arrest and several hours of confinement. The total footage runs approximately eight hours. This stems from the night of June 18, 2024, when Sag harbor police stopped Timberlake, now 45, after he reportedly ran a stop sign and veered out his lane while driving his BMW. In the village, officers said he smelled of alcohol and performed poorly on field sobriety tests. Timberlake told them he had had one martini. He was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated. In September 2024, he pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of driving while impaired, a non criminal traffic violation. He was sentenced to a $500 fine, 25 hours of community service and a 90 day license suspension. He was also required to make a public safety statement about the dangers of impaired driving. Sag Harbor Mayor Thomas Gardella said the village was trying to be as transparent as possible, noting that New York's public records law generally requires the release of police body camera footage. As of March 3, village officials said they were holding the release while working toward a resolution with Timberlake's lawyers.
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If you're drawn to true about disappearances, there's a new Crime House show for you to check out. It's the new Crime House original series, the Final Hours, hosted by Sarah Turney and Courtney Nicole. Sarah is an advocate for missing and murdered victims whose own sister disappeared in 2001, and Courtney is a true crime storyteller and investigator who witnessed firsthand how crime can change a family forever. Together, they bring lived experience to every case, looking not only at what happened, but what led up to it. Each episode examines the moments just before a person disappears, the routines, the timelines, and the small details that often get overlooked. Because every disappearance has a moment where everything still feels normal. A text that doesn't raise concern, a routine that goes unchanged, a door that closes just like it always has. Until it doesn't. The final hours puts those moments under a microscope, because when it comes to justice, there's no such thing as overanalyzing. Listen to and follow the final hours on Apple podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or wherever you listen. New episodes every Monday. Before you go, let me tell you what else is happening at Crime House Today on Murder True Crime Stories, we are revisiting one of the most debated unsolved disappearances in America, American history. Some cases endure because of a shocking crime scene. Others persist because of a suspect who was never definitively proven guilty. And then there are cases that survive decade after decade because there is no final answer at all. When a disappearance lacks resolution, it rarely stays contained. Instead, it expands. The absence of certainty creates room for interpretation. Minor details are re examined. Timelines are reconstructed repeatedly. Personal histories are scrutinized. Entire communities of amateur investigators form around the gaps. Over time, speculation can become as prominent as fact. The case itself becomes less a fixed event and more a landscape of competing explanations. Here are five missing women cases that became endless theories not because of spectacle alone, but because ambiguity allowed narrative to multiply. Number 1 Maura Murray the Vanishing after the Crash On February 9, 2004, 21 year old Maura Murray crashed her car on a rural road in Haverhill, New Hampshire. Witnesses observed her near the vehicle. Shortly after the accident, a school bus driver stopped and spoke with her briefly. She appeared shaken but declined assistance. Within a matter of minutes, she disappeared. When law enforcement arrived, the car was locked. Personal belongings remained inside. There were no confirmed signs of a struggle. There was no definitive evidence of abduction. That narrow window between crash and disappearance created a vacuum in the absence of direct evidence interpretations began to fill the space. Some observers concluded that Maura may have fled into the woods and succumbed to the elements. Others believe she encountered someone who offered help and then harmed her. Additional theories suggest she may have intended to disappear voluntarily due to personal pressures in her life. Over time, the case became deeply embedded in online investigative culture. Independent searches were conducted. Witness statements were dissected. Her academic record, relationships, and mental state were analyzed in public forums. The reason the case remains theory heavy is not because it lacks evidence entirely. It's because what evidence exists, does point conclusively in a single direction. The disappearance occurred in minutes in a relatively ordinary setting and left behind just enough detail to invite ongoing reinterpretation. Number 2 Madeline McCann Global attention without resolution In May 2007, three year old Madeline McCann disappeared from a holiday apartment in Praia da Luz, Portugal, while her parents were dining nearby. The case quickly became international news. Media coverage was constant and public attention extended across continents. The scale of exposure fundamentally shaped the trajectory of the investigation. Theories emerged rapidly and circulated widely. The case involved multiple law enforcement agencies evolving suspect designations and periodic announcements of new leads. Because no definitive conclusion was reached in the early stages, public discourse became increasingly fragmented. Some narratives focused on stranger abduction. Others scrutinized the actions of those closest to her. As investigative developments surfaced over the years, they reignited discussion rather than settled it. When a case receives global visibility but lacks immediate resolution, it often transforms into something larger than a criminal investigation. It becomes a cultural touchpoint. Theories harden into positions. Public perception fluctuates with each new update. The absence of a conclusive end allowed the story to expand rather than contract, and that expansion has kept speculation alive for nearly two decades. Number 3 Asha Degree the child seen walking away in February 2009, year old Asha Degree left her home in North Carolina during the early morning hours. Motorists later reported seeing a young girl walking along a highway in stormy weather conditions. She was never seen again. The unusual nature of the departure created enduring uncertainty. There was no evidence of forced entry into the home. There were no confirmed signs of violence at the residence. Her backpack was later discovered buried along a roadside miles away. Because the circumstances did not fit a simple narrative, the case developed layers of interpretation. Some theories center on the possibility that she was lured by someone she trusted. Others focus on the idea that she may have been planning to meet someone. Law enforcement has periodically released new evidence which has kept the case active in public memory. The detail that she was reportedly seen walking alone introduced a powerful and unsettling image that continues to influence discussion. The sighting is specific enough to feel credible but not detailed enough to explain what happened next. In the absence of resolution, the image of a child walking into darkness has become symbolic of the unknown space where explanation should be. Number four Jennifer Doulos the Missing Mother and the evidence trail in May 2019, Connecticut mother of five Jennifer Doulos disappeared after dropping her children at school. Investigators quickly determined that the significant blood loss had occurred in her garage. Her estranged husband became the primary suspect, though her body has never been recovered. Unlike some missing persons cases that lack physical evidence, this one contained substantial forensic findings. Surveillance footage, discarded evidence and witness testimony suggested an orchestrated attempt to conceal a crime. Yet without a body, the case remained suspended between certainty and incompleteness. Public discussion is often focused not only on the evidence, but on motive and psychological dynamics within the marriage. Custody disputes and personal conflict added layers to the narrative. The legal proceedings, including arrests of additional individuals accused of assisting in cleanup efforts, kept the case in headlines. The absence of Jennifer's remains prevented a traditional conclusion. Even after criminal charges and convictions related to the case, the missing body continued to fuel speculation about the final sequence of events. Events in cases like this theory does not replace evidence. It grows around what cannot be definitively proven. Number 5 Mitrice Richardson Release and Disappearance In September 2009, 24 year old Mitrice Richardson was arrested in Malibu, California, for minor charges related to unpaid restaurant bills. Despite concerns raised about her mental state, she was released from jail late at night. Without her phone, money, or car, she vanished shortly afterward. Nearly a year later, her remains were discovered in a remote canyon area. The delay in recovery and questions surrounding her release created intense scrutiny. Investigators faced criticism regarding how the case was handled. The timeline between her release and death became a focal point of public debate. The circumstances surrounding her disappearance generated persistent discussion about institutional responsibility and missed warning signs. Because there was no clear eyewitness account of her final movements, multiple interpretations emerged regarding how she reached the location where her remains were found. When a disappearance intersects with procedural decisions made by authorities, theory often shifts from what happened to what should have happened. The ambiguity surrounding those decisions sustained speculation long after official conclusions were announced. Why Some Cases Never Stop Generating Theories Missing persons cases that resolve tend to narrow over time. Evidence accumulates, suspects are identified. Legal proceedings establish a narrative framework. Even if uncertainty remains, there is an endpoint. Cases without definitive resolution behave differently. They expand. Each unanswered question becomes a branching path. Each ambiguous detail invites reinterpretation. The human mind seeks coherence. When a story lacks a final chapter, people attempt to write one. Over time, those attempts can multiply rather than converge. Digital communities have intensified this phenomenon. Online archives preserve interviews, police reports, and media coverage indefinitely. Independent investigators revisit timelines decades later, with fresh eyes. Advances in forensic science revive hope and reopen debate. The absence of closure sustains engagement. However, the persistence of theory also reflects something deeper. Disappearances disrupt the expectation that events follow logical sequence. They resist containment. Without confirmation of death, survival remains possible. Without a named perpetrator, accountability remains incomplete. Theories endure because the alternative, permanent uncertainty, is is difficult to accept. Some disappearances become part of the historical record. Others remain active in collective imagination. For the full examination of one such case, including the evidence, the unanswered questions, and the theories that continue to circulate, listen to today's episode of Murder True Crime Stories. Because when resolution never arrives, the story does not fade. It evolves. You've been listening to Crime House 24. 7, bringing you breaking crime news. I'm Vanessa Richardson. We'll be back tomorrow morning with more developing stories. Stay safe and thanks for listening. Oh, could this vintage store be any cuter?
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Right?
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And the best part. Except Discover. Except Discovery Discover in a little place like this? I don't think so. Jennifer. Oh yeah, huh? Discovers accepted where I like to shop. Come on, baby, get with the times. Right. So we shouldn't get the parachute pants. These are making a comeback, I think.
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Discover is accepted at 99 of places that take credit cards nationwide. Based on the February 2025 Nielsen report.
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Hi, it's Vanessa. If you're drawn to true crime stories about disappearances, check out the new Crime House original the Final Hours, hosted by Sarah Turney and Courtney Nicole. Listen to and follow the Final Hours on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes drop every Monday. Support from this episode comes from Colette. Colette offers small group guided tours with an average of just 19 travelers led by local experts around the world. Visit gocollette.com podcast and use offer code TRAVEL26 to get $200 off select tours.