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Madison Nicole Rueckert (Webster County Sheriff’s Office).
A 21-year-old woman in Missouri will spend decades behind bars for killing her boyfriend, fatally shooting the 24-year-old victim in the head on New Year’s Eve after finding “messages from him to other women.” Webster County Circuit Judge Chuck C. Replogle ordered Madison Nicole Rueckert to serve 35 years in a state correctional facility for the 2022 slaying of Jonathan Miller, court records filed on Monday show.
According to court documents, Rueckert had initially been arrested and charged with first-degree murder and armed criminal action over the shooting. However, she reached a deal with prosecutors last month in which she agreed to plead guilty to one count of second-degree murder and one count of armed criminal action. Replogle subsequently sentenced her to 25 years on the murder and 10 years on the lesser charge, to be served consecutively.
According to a probable cause affidavit obtained by The Marshfield Mail, the incident took place at a local residence on the night of Dec. 31, 2022. Rueckert was reportedly motivated to kill Miller after she went through his phone and found that he had been exchanging text messages with other women.
After allegedly making that discovery, authorities said that Rueckert waited for Miller to fall asleep before grabbing a firearm and shooting him. Following the shooting, Rueckert drove a short distance north to Dallas County, Missouri, where she reportedly spent the night hiding in the woods.
The following day, Rueckert drove to the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office and turned herself over to authorities. Marshfield detectives traveled to Dallas County to speak with Rueckert, who reportedly provided details about her motive and the murder. A handgun was recovered from her vehicle that matched the weapon used in the shooting, Springfield, Missouri, news radio station KWTO reported.
Miller’s mother, Ann Kopp, spoke about the day she learned of her son’s death in an interview with Kansas City, Missouri, CBS affiliate KCTV. She told the station that she and her husband had been trying to reach Miller before deciding to go 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 also said she was baffled by what authorities said motivated 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.”
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