Devoni Miller: Woman claims she was 'hiding from demons' after drowning 2-year-old daughter in river

Devoni Miller: Woman claims she was depressed, 'hiding from demons' after drowning 2-year-old daughter in Connecticut river
Devoni Miller was arrested after intentionally crashing her car into the Connecticut River, killing her 2-year-old daughter (Connecticut State Police)

Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers’ discretion advised.

CONNECTICUT, NEW ENGLAND: Authorities claim that a 23-year-old Connecticut mother purposefully crashed her car into the Connecticut River in September, drowning her 2-year-old daughter. The mother has since been placed under arrest.

After being taken into custody, Devoni Miller was charged with several crimes including murder after allegedly crashing into two vehicles, and then drowning her child.

Charges against Devoni Miller

Miller was also charged with one count of first-degree reckless endangerment, interfering with an emergency call, reckless driving, failing to take responsibility for other people's vehicles, and posing a risk of harm to a child.

A probable cause affidavit that Law&Crime was able to obtain states that on September 20, at approximately 5.20 pm, Miller crashed into another car in Cromwell without slowing down, and then struck that same car multiple times as she attempted to escape the scene.

After leaving the scene, Miller is said to have hit another car a short distance away before slamming into a guardrail that was roughly 50 feet from the coast and situated "directly over a steep embankment leading down to the Connecticut River."

Mother accepts being 'depressed'

Miller allegedly got out of her car while carrying a baby, hugged her, and said, "You can't call 911, I can't go back there, they are going to take me back there," according to a female witness who called 911. Miller allegedly made multiple attempts to seize and hang up the witness's cell phone, WFSB Hartford stated.

At approximately 7.12 pm, Miller was discovered by authorities, dressed only in her underwear, strolling along Route 9, heading back toward the location of the previous car crash. Police said she said, "I had to get rid of it," in response to a question about where her clothes were. She added that her youngster was "floating."

Miller then told the police, "That's where you need to look," pointing toward the area in the river where her daughter was later discovered.

Miller also said, "Just kill me," "I'm not crazy, just a little depressed," and "Just take me to jail" when asked if she wanted to stay warm and sit in a car, according to the affidavit, during her interview with Cromwell Police Department.

What does the affidavit say?

According to the affidavit, when investigators spoke with Miller's coworkers, they discovered that she had been sent home from work earlier in the day for acting strangely. Miller told police that her child was "dead" and "in the water" while the victim was still in the hospital, according to a witness.

Miller is then reported to have said, "I'm not crazy," and made multiple allusions to the Bible. She added that she was "hiding and running from demons and the police."

About two hours after Miller was captured, the child was discovered unresponsive on the rocks along the water and was pronounced dead at the hospital.

After the victim's death, an autopsy revealed that drowning was the cause of death and the medical examiner ruled her death a drowning homicide.. 

Share this article:  Devoni Miller: Woman claims she was 'hiding from demons' after drowning 2-year-old daughter in river