A 21-year-old Missouri woman will spend decades in prison for killing her boyfriend, shooting 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 first detained and charged with first-degree murder and armed criminal action for the shooting. However, she negotiated 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 offense, to be served consecutively.
The Marshfield Mail got a probable cause document, which stated that the incident occurred at a nearby residence on the night of December 31, 2022. Rueckert was apparently prompted to kill Miller after going through his phone and discovering that he had been texting other women.
After reportedly making that discovery, authorities said Rueckert waited for Miller to fall asleep before retrieving a handgun and shooting him. After the incident, Rueckert drove a short distance north to Dallas County, Missouri, where she allegedly spent the night hidden in the woods.
The next day, Rueckert drove to the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office and surrendered to police. Marshfield detectives flew to Dallas County to talk with Rueckert, who allegedly revealed information regarding her purpose and the crime. A revolver found in her vehicle matched the firearm used in the shooting.
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 informed the channel 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] mom was already there. Sergeant Neil had just pulled up. He wanted to talk to me. So I got in the car with [Sgt.] Neil, and he goes, I’m sorry to have 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 said. “He hadn’t even cheated on her.”
