In the heart of Tuscarawas County, Ohio, the serene waters of Atwood Lake became the stage for an unthinkable tragedy that has left a community in mourning and authorities grappling with a chilling case. On a seemingly ordinary weekend, a family trip turned into a nightmare, marked by what Sheriff Orvis Campbell described as a “spiritual delusion” that led to the deaths of Marcus J. Miller, a 45-year-old father, and his 4-year-old son, Vincen Miller, both from the Amish community in Millersburg, Ohio.
The harrowing sequence of events began on Saturday, August 23, 2025, at approximately 10:30 a.m., when deputies and Atwood Rangers responded to a chaotic scene near Atwood Marina West. A woman, later identified as the mother of four, had driven a golf cart carrying her 15-year-old daughter and twin 18-year-old sons straight into the lake, flipping the vehicle off a stone wall. Witnesses, initially believing it was a runaway cart, rushed to help, only to be met with a chilling response from the mother: “Don’t help me, just pray for me.” Her three older children emerged from the shallow water physically unharmed but emotionally shattered, while her cryptic words hinted at something far more sinister.
As first responders engaged with the family, the mother’s statements grew increasingly alarming. She spoke of “giving her son to the Lord,” sparking immediate concern for the whereabouts of her youngest child, 4-year-old Vincen, and her husband, Marcus. The mother’s erratic behavior and irrational comments prompted authorities to fear the worst, launching a frantic search for the missing father and son. “We were hoping she was just sick and that the father had the 4-year-old somewhere in the campground,” Sheriff Campbell recalled, his voice heavy with the weight of what was to come.
Investigators soon pieced together a disturbing timeline. In the early hours of Saturday, around 1:15 a.m., the mother and Marcus had ventured to a dock at Atwood Lake, claiming they were acting on divine instructions to perform “tests of faith.” These tasks, described as bizarre and ranging from swimming exercises to an unimaginable directive to be “swallowed by a fish,” were meant to prove their worthiness to God. The couple returned to their rented RV, but Marcus, tormented by a sense of failure, declared he would return to the lake alone. Witnesses later confirmed seeing him at the dock around 6:30 a.m., leaving his clothes behind as he swam toward a distant sandbar. He was never seen alive again.
By 8 a.m., the mother’s actions took a darker turn. Witnesses reported her driving a golf cart erratically through the campground with young Vincen onboard, at times flipping the cart or balancing it on two wheels. She later admitted to authorities that she drove to the dock, where she threw her 4-year-old son into the water as an “offering to God.” She returned to the RV alone, then took her three older children to the same dock in two separate trips, forcing them to jump into the lake and perform ritualistic tasks. Afterward, she made them lie on the dock, hands submerged in the water, praying for their father and brother, whom she declared had “gone to heaven.”
The search for Vincen and Marcus was agonizing. At 6:03 p.m. on Saturday, divers recovered Vincen’s small body just ten feet from the dock, a discovery that left even seasoned responders, including a diver who knew the sheriff personally, overcome with emotion. The search for Marcus paused due to darkness but resumed at dawn on Sunday. By 8:29 a.m., sonar located his body 53 yards from the dock, at the bottom of the lake. The Tuscarawas County Coroner, Dr. Jeff Cameron, confirmed the identities of Marcus J. Miller and Vincen Miller, noting that autopsies by the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office are still pending to determine the precise causes of death.
The mother, a 40-year-old woman whose name has not been released pending formal charges, remains hospitalized in a locked mental health facility. Sheriff Campbell described her as “clearly in mental crisis,” her actions driven by what he termed a “spiritual delusion.” Despite her irrational behavior, she cooperated with investigators, even drawing a map to where Vincen’s body could be found. She maintained that her actions were guided by divine voices, a belief she seemed to sincerely hold. Authorities expect to charge her with aggravated murder on Tuesday, August 26, with potential additional charges of child endangering under consideration.
The Miller family, part of the Old Order Amish Church in Holmes County, was well-known and loved within their community. Extended family members revealed that the couple had struggled with mental health issues, with an intervention staged as recently as the Thursday before the tragedy. However, there had been no indication of intent to harm anyone. The family’s church issued a heartfelt statement, emphasizing that the events did not reflect their Christian beliefs of salvation through grace and faith. “The ministry and extended family had been walking with them through their challenges, and they had also received professional help in the past,” the statement read, urging others facing mental health struggles to seek help and requesting privacy for healing.
Sheriff Campbell, visibly shaken, reflected on the tragedy’s toll. “This was a husband very devoted to his wife, and they were devoted to the Bible, but that just manifested itself incorrectly,” he said. The couple’s three surviving children, devastated and confused, were released to extended family members described as “wonderful people” who will provide care and support. The investigation continues, with deputies executing a search warrant on the family’s RV, finding only an open Bible and no evidence of premeditated harm or substance use.
As the Amish community and Tuscarawas County grapple with this profound loss, the story of Marcus and Vincen Miller serves as a haunting reminder of the devastating impact of untreated mental health crises. The serene waters of Atwood Lake, once a place of family respite, now hold the echoes of a tragedy that has left a community searching for answers and solace.