Missouri — A 21-year-old Missouri woman will spend decades in prison for killing her boyfriend, who shot him in the head on New Year’s Eve after discovering “messages from him to other women.”
Webster County Circuit Judge Chuck C. Replogle sentenced Madison Nicole Rueckert to 35 years in a state prison for the murder of Jonathan Miller in 2022, according to court records filed on Monday.
According to court documents, Rueckert was initially arrested and charged with first-degree murder and armed criminal action for the shooting.
However, she reached an agreement with prosecutors last month to plead guilty to one count of second-degree murder and one count of armed criminal activity. Replogle then sentenced her to 25 years for murder and 10 years for the lesser charge, to be served consecutively.
The Marshfield Mail obtained a probable cause affidavit, which stated that the incident occurred at a local residence on the night of December 31, 2022. Rueckert was reportedly motivated to kill Miller after going through his phone and discovering that he had been texting other women.
After allegedly making that discovery, authorities said Rueckert waited for Miller to fall asleep before grabbing a firearm and shooting him. After the shooting, Rueckert drove a short distance north to Dallas County, Missouri, where she allegedly spent the night hiding in the woods.
The next day, Rueckert drove to the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office and surrendered to authorities. Marshfield detectives traveled to Dallas County to speak with Rueckert, who allegedly revealed information about her motive and the murder.
A handgun found in her vehicle matched the weapon used in the shooting, according to Springfield, Missouri-based news radio station KWTO.
In an interview with CBS affiliate KCTV in Kansas City, Missouri, Miller’s mother, Ann Kopp, discussed the day she learned of her son’s death. She told the station that she and her husband had tried to contact Miller before going to his home.
“When we got to John’s house, the police department was already there,” Kopp told the station. “Madison Rueckert’s mother was already there. Sergeant Neil had just pulled up. He wanted to talk with me. So I got in the car with [Sgt.] Neil, and he said, “I’m sorry to tell you this, but your son was the victim of a homicide.”
Kopp was also perplexed by what authorities said drove Rueckert to kill her son.
“I couldn’t believe it [was] because she found messages from him to other women,” she told me. “He hadn’t even cheated on her.”
