Mandie Miller, 36, was sentenced to 32 years in prison on February 6, 2026, for the 2022 abuse and homicide of her 8-year-old adopted daughter, Meela Miller, in Spokane County, Washington. Her boyfriend, Aleksander Kurmoyarov, 31, awaits sentencing on February 10 after pleading guilty to related charges and agreeing to testify against her.
Case Details
Miller pleaded guilty on January 14 to homicide by abuse, second-degree child assault, and two counts of unlawful imprisonment as part of a plea deal. The couple abused Meela through starvation, restraint with zip ties, and prolonged assaults recorded on their home cameras, reducing her weight to just 26 pounds at death in September 2022.
Arrest Circumstances
In December 2022, authorities in Mitchell, South Dakota, arrested the pair after a funeral home flagged their lack of burial documents for Meela’s body in a coffin inside a U-Haul trailer driven over 1,000 miles from Washington. They admitted to keeping the body at home for months to “spend more time with her,” initially facing lesser charges that escalated to murder.
Sentencing Highlights
Judge Rachelle Anderson imposed the maximum 388 months, exceeding prosecutors’ recommendation, citing the profound loss of Meela. Family members, including Miller’s brother Elijah, expressed devastation; Miller read a statement acknowledging her foster care trauma but accepting responsibility.​
Kurmoyarov’s Role
Kurmoyarov, who met Miller online via World of Warcraft and moved to her in 2021, admitted following her lead in punishing Meela, including restraints pulled from school in early 2022. He faces second-degree murder, assault, and three unlawful imprisonment counts.
If you suspect child abuse, contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or visit www.childhelp.org for 24/7 confidential support.​
