‘Spiritual delusion’: Officials share details after drowning deaths of Ohio father, son
Officials are calling it a "spiritual delusion" following the drowning deaths of a father and his 4-year-old son in northeast Ohio.
By Emily Sanderson
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TUSCARAWAS COUNTY, Ohio (WLWT) — Officials are calling it a “spiritual delusion” following the drowning deaths of a father and his 4-year-old son in northeast Ohio.
It all happened over the weekend at a lake in Tuscarawas County, south of Akron.
According to the sheriff, the incident was “intentional” and they expect the mother to be charged with aggravated murder in the death of her child.
“I think this was a husband very devoted to his wife, I think they were also devoted to the Bible and that just manifested itself incorrectly,” Tuscarawas County Sheriff Orvis Campbell said.
Campbell said the family is part of the Homes County Amish Community and was visiting Atwood Lake when it all took place.
Authorities were called to the area around 10:30 a.m. Saturday for a report of a woman driving a golf cart, flipping it into the water with her three teenage children on board.
“She drove around the lake erratically, praying a couple places, it’s our understanding that she then heard the voice again, telling her to drive into the lake,” Campbell said.
In the moments before the crash, Campbell said witnesses told police they say the woman and teens huddled close together.
“Heads touching, praying very intently next to the water by the kayak launch, so much so that it actually scared some witnesses,” Campbell said.
Campbell said responding deputies realized the woman’s husband and child were missing.
It was then revealed the woman and her husband jumped into the water earlier that morning.
“Because God was speaking to them and telling them to do things, things to prove their worthiness to God, to show their faith as complete,” Campbell said.
Campbell said the husband “felt he failed” and went back into the water alone. Two hours after that, the mother went back and threw her four year old son into the lake, “as an offering to God.”
The son’s body was found around 6 p.m., about 10 feet from the dock. The husband’s body was found around 8:30 a.m. Sunday morning.
“The manner of these two deaths is pending until completion of the autopsies,” Campbell said.
The teens are okay, and staying with relatives.
The Old Order Amish Church and the family involved released a statement, saying in part, “As a church of Christian faith, we believe that we are saved by grace, through faith in Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9), and the events of this past weekend do not reflect our teachings or beliefs but are instead a result of a mental illness.”
The mother is currently in a mental hospital, but is expected to be charged this week.
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