Man sentenced for elderly mom's death. Bugs crawled on her body; police wore biohazard suits

Here's a look at how a long-standing aggravated manslaughter case was resolved last week at the Marion County Judicial Center:

State v. Jonathan Michael Miller

Judge: Circuit Judge Peter Brigham.

Lawyer: Court records show Miller was represented by Charles K. Ruse III, an assistant public defender.

Charge: Aggravated manslaughter of an elderly person or disabled adult.

About the case: Ocala police officials arrested Miller in June 2020 and accused him of neglecting his mother, age 70.

Authorities said conditions were so bad inside the house, they had to wear biohazard suits before entering.

The woman was covered with bugs. Detectives said Miller, who was his mother's caretaker, told them the home had been infested with roaches and bedbugs for several years. He told detectives his mother had not received any medical care since December 2019. She died after her son was arrested.

How was the case resolved? Miller, now 51, appeared in court on July 24 for a change of plea hearing. He pleaded no contest to the charge and was sentenced to seven years in prison, according to the terms of a plea deal.

Miller has 1,491 days of credit for time already served at the county jail, court records state. He also must submit a DNA sample to the court.

Contact Austin L. Miller at austin.miller@starbanner.com

This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Man sentenced for elderly mom's death. Bugs crawled on her body; police wore biohazard suits