A Missouri woman who fatally shot her boyfriend in the head as he slept after she discovered text messages on his phone has been sentenced to 35 years in prison.
Madison Rueckert, 23, pleaded guilty to second-degree attempted murder and armed criminal action after dodging a first-degree murder charge.
On December 31, 2022, Rueckert, who was 21 at the time, discovered text messages with other women on the phone of her boyfriend, Jonathan Miller, 24, and became upset.
Rueckert then waited for Miller to fall asleep, according to a probable cause statement obtained by The Marshfield Mail, before she shot him in the head.
She then drove to Dallas County, where she spent the night in the woods, before going to a stranger’s home to call the police, according to the statement.
Officers said that Rueckert turned herself into the Dallas County Sheriff’s office, KY3 reported.
Miller’s mother, Ann Kopp, told the outlet: ‘It was just like, “Oh my God.” I didn’t understand why. I still don’t because it doesn’t make any sense.’
She and her husband went to look for her son after attempting to get in touch with him.
‘When we got to John’s house, the police department was already there. Madison’s mom was already there. Sergeant Neil had just pulled up.
‘He wanted to talk to me, so I got in the car with [him], and she goes, “I’m sorry to have to tell you this, but your son was the victim of a homicide”,’ Kopp told the outlet.
Kopp asked if Rueckert was there, and the Sergeant told her she was already in custody.
‘I couldn’t believe it because she had found messages from him to other women. He hadn’t even cheated on her,’ she said.
Kopp told Ozarks First that they ‘don’t know what’s in those texts,’ at the time, but said she ‘seriously doubt[ed] he would have texted anybody sexual stuff and left it on his phone.’
‘So, I don’t think it was sexual. I think it was just he was talking to other females,’ she added.
‘She was a great kid. We liked her. I mean, our son was really happy with her,’ Kopp said. ‘Even though he and Madison had only been together since May, [Madison’s] baby was his number one priority, and spending time with that child.’
Miller’s obituary described him as a ‘great father and son’ who ‘loved his little boy Jeremiah so very much.’
‘Jonathan enjoyed barbecuing, family gatherings, watching the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and shooting guns,’ the obituary added.
‘He was a very hard worker and was happy with the promotion he had just gotten at work.’
Rueckert was sentenced to 25 consecutive years for second-degree murder and 10 consecutive years for being armed with criminal action.