A 21-year-old woman from Missouri will spend decades behind bars for fatally shooting her 24-year-old boyfriend, Jonathan Miller, on New Year’s Eve in 2022. Madison Nicole Rueckert was sentenced to 35 years in prison by Webster County Circuit Judge Chuck C. Replogle after pleading guilty to second-degree murder and armed criminal action.
The Incident
The tragic event occurred on December 31, 2022, when Rueckert allegedly discovered that Miller had been exchanging text messages with other women. According to court documents, Rueckert became enraged upon finding these messages and waited for Miller to fall asleep before shooting him in the head with a firearm. After the shooting, Rueckert drove to Dallas County, Missouri, and spent the night in the woods.
The following morning, Rueckert turned herself in at the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office, where she confessed to the murder. Detectives later recovered a handgun from her vehicle that matched the weapon used in the killing. Rueckert’s confession detailed her motive, stating that she acted out of jealousy and anger after finding the messages.
Plea Deal and Sentencing
Rueckert was initially charged with first-degree murder and armed criminal action. However, in February 2024, she reached a deal with prosecutors, pleading guilty to second-degree murder and armed criminal action in exchange for a lighter sentence. Judge Replogle sentenced Rueckert to 25 years for the murder charge and 10 years for the armed criminal action charge, to be served consecutively.
Victim’s Family’s Reaction
Jonathan Miller’s mother, Ann Kopp, shared her shock and grief in an interview with Kansas City CBS affiliate KCTV. She recounted the moment she learned of her son’s death, saying that she and her husband were initially trying to reach Miller before deciding to go to his home. Upon arriving, they found the police already at the scene, and Kopp was informed of her son’s homicide.
Kopp expressed her disbelief over the motive, saying, “I couldn’t believe it was because she found messages from him to other women,” adding that her son had never cheated on Rueckert. She struggled to understand how a simple text message exchange could lead to such a violent act.
Madison Rueckert will serve 35 years in prison for her role in Jonathan Miller’s death. This tragic case highlights the devastating consequences of jealousy and impulsive actions. Rueckert’s actions not only ended the life of her boyfriend but also left a grieving family searching for answers.
