SPOKANE COUNTY, Wash. – A woman from Airway Heights has pled guilty to multiple charges related to the death of an 8-year-old child.
The case began in December 2022, after police discovered the remains of the child in a casket in the back of U-Haul trailer in Mitchell, South Dakota.
According to court documents, Mandie Miller and her partner Aleksander Kurmoyarov stored in the body in their Airway Heights home for several months before transporting the body to South Dakota, with the intent of burying her 8-year-old adopted daughter on the Rosebud Sioux reservation.
After the couple was detained in South Dakota, investigators search Miller’s home, and found zip ties, cleaning products, and excessive air fresheners.
According to court documents, Miller and her partner told law enforcement they restrained the child with zip ties for hours. Alekzander, Miller’s partner, also told law enforcement that the child had broken toes and claimed Miller smashed them with a hammer.
Court documents state the child died on September 10, but the couple kept her remains to “spend more time with her.”
At the child’s time of death, she was severely malnourished and weighed only 26 pounds.
Both Miller and her partner have been charged with homicide by abuse, false imprisonment, and several other charges.
In court on Wednesday, Miller pled guilty to four charges.
“As to count 1, homicide by abuse domestic violence, how do you plead,” asked Judge Rochelle Anderson of Spokane County Superior Court.
“Guilty,” Miller replied.
As part of the plea agreement, Miller agreed to sentences for the four charges.
For homicide by abuse, she agreed to 360 months, or 30 years. For assault on the child, 75 month, and For two charges of unlawful imprisonment, a combined 34 months.
All together, Miller could spend the next 40 years in jail.
However, The recent hearing was just a change of plea. Miller will appear in court again on February 6 for sentencing, where victim impact statements will be read and Miller could give a statement.
Her partner Aleksander Kurmoyarov also pled guilty to several charges in December, however, he is also awaiting sentencing, which court documents say which will take place after the conclusion of Miller’s case.
