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Amish Mother Found Not Guilty by Insanity in Drowning Case

3/6/2026

27 2 Full Breakdown

Center

Ruth Miller Acquitted

The court found Ruth Miller, an Amish mother, not guilty by reason of insanity for drowning her 4-year-old son Vincen at Atwood Lake on August 23, 2025.
Judge Michael Ernest cited three psychiatric evaluations finding a severe mental disease that impaired her understanding.
The court will reconvene on March 13 to discuss placement as prosecutors seek confinement in a locked facility and the defense requests a less restrictive option.

Right

Morgado Found Dead

Manuela Morgado, 60, was found dead in her Bedford Hills Correctional Facility cell on March 5, 2026.
She was serving a 20-year-to-life sentence for smothering her 4-year-old son, Jason "Jake" Reish, in 2012.
Morgado pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, saying the act was intended to be a quick, peaceful end.
District Attorney Susan Cacace expressed condolences to Jake's family; the cause of Morgado's death remains undisclosed.

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Ruth Miller Acquitted

The court found Ruth Miller, an Amish mother, not guilty by reason of insanity for drowning her 4-year-old son Vincen at Atwood Lake on August 23, 2025.
Judge Michael Ernest cited three psychiatric evaluations finding a severe mental disease that impaired her understanding.
The court will reconvene on March 13 to discuss placement as prosecutors seek confinement in a locked facility and the defense requests a less restrictive option.

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