Meela Rose Miller, an 8-year-old girl, died on or around September 10, 2022, in Airway Heights, Washington, from prolonged abuse and starvation inflicted by her legal guardian and biological aunt, Mandie Miller, and Miller's boyfriend, Aleksander Kurmoyarov. The couple subjected Meela to sustained torture including restraining her with zip ties and in a bathrobe tied like a straightjacket for four to six hours daily, hitting her toes with a hammer, slapping her, and systematically starving her — she weighed only 26 pounds at the time of death. After her death, the couple lived with her body for approximately three months before placing her remains in a coffin in a rented U-Haul and driving roughly 1,100 miles to Mitchell, South Dakota, where they attempted to have her buried at a funeral home. The funeral home contacted police when the couple could not produce proper death documentation. Both were arrested and ultimately pleaded guilty; Miller was sentenced to 32 years and Kurmoyarov to approximately 23 years in prison.
Contexts/Conditions
Is there any mention of child drug ingestion or overdose?
Is there any mention of a drowning incident (either intentional or accidental)?
Is there any mention of a firearm incident?
Is there any mention of inappropriate supervision (e.g., child wandered off and drowned)?
Is there any mention of inflicted injury? (e.g. slapped, punched, kicked, choked)
Document 2 states that "Kurmoyarov admitted to slapping the child twice on the day she died" and that "Miller would also hit Meela's toes with a hammer when she would misbehave." Document 3 states the couple "smashed her toes with a hammer" and that "their home camera system recorded them assaulting Meela."
Is there any mention of malnutrition, starvation, or dehydration?
Multiple documents explicitly reference malnutrition and starvation. Document 2 states that investigators noted "Meela looked small and malnourished for her age." Document 3 states the child "died from abuse and starvation" and that "At the time of her death, the girl weighed a mere 26 pounds." The deputy prosecutor stated at sentencing: "They did assault her, they did starve her, they did restrain her, they did torture her, and they did kill her."
Is there any mention of medical neglect?
The KREM investigative article (Document 2) states that Miller told investigators she "didn't call 911 because it would take too long for the ambulance to arrive" when Meela was dying. The child was chronically starving (weighed only 26 pounds at death per Document 3) and suffered repeated physical assaults, yet the couple never sought medical attention for her. The Law Enforcement Today article (Document 3) confirms the child "died from abuse and starvation," indicating a prolonged failure to provide medical care for life-threatening conditions.
Is there any mention of a motor vehicle crash or incident?
Is there any mention of a murder-suicide incident?
Is there any mention of outdoor elements (including hot car deaths)?
Is there any mention of prenatal substance exposure (including fetal alcohol syndrome or neonatal abstinence syndrome)?
Is there any mention of sexual abuse?
Is there any specific mention of shaken baby or abusive head trauma?
Is there any mention of prolonged abuse or torture (including restraints, captivity)?
The documents describe a sustained pattern of deliberate cruelty. Document 2 states Kurmoyarov "admitted to tying her up in a bathrobe 'similar to a straightjacket' for four to six hours a day" and that "Miller would also hit Meela's toes with a hammer when she would misbehave." Document 3 details that the couple "tied her eight-year-old adopted daughter...with zip ties and smashed her toes with a hammer." The deputy prosecutor stated: "She restrained her for hours upon hours, day after day...their home camera system recorded them tying her to a car seat with zip ties to restrain her." The prosecutor explicitly characterized the conduct: "They did assault her, they did starve her, they did restrain her, they did torture her, and they did kill her." Judge Anderson stated: "We're here because a little girl was tortured, she was starved."
Is there any mention of an unsafe sleeping environment?
Individuals Involved
Was an adoptive parent or guardian involved in the death?
Document 1 refers to Meela as Kurmoyarov's "eight-year-old adopted daughter." Document 2 states: "Miller had been Meela's legal guardian for the last seven years." Document 3 describes her as Miller's "eight-year-old adopted daughter." Both caregivers functioned as adoptive parents/legal guardians and were directly involved in the child's death.
Was a biological father involved in the death?
Was a biological mother involved in the death?
Was a day care worker, babysitter, or nanny involved in the death?
Was a female paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., girlfriend, stepmother)?
Was a foster parent involved in the death?
Was a male paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., boyfriend, stepfather)?
Aleksander Kurmoyarov is identified as Mandie Miller's boyfriend. Document 2 describes him as "her boyfriend, Aleksandr Kurmoyarov." He is not the child's biological father but rather the male paramour of the child's legal guardian. He admitted to slapping the child, restraining her, and was convicted of murder, assault, and unlawful imprisonment in connection with the death.
Was another adult relative involved in the death? (e.g., grandfather, aunt)
Mandie Miller is the sister of the child's biological mother, making her the child's biological aunt. Document 2 states: "Miller had been Meela's legal guardian for the last seven years and is the sister of the girl's biological mom." Document 3 confirms the child was "her biological niece." As the biological aunt, she qualifies as an adult relative involved in the death.
Was a sibling involved in the death?
Child Characteristics
Was the child adopted?
Document 1 refers to the child as "his eight-year-old adopted daughter." Document 2 states "Miller had been Meela's legal guardian for the last seven years." Document 3 describes her as "her eight-year-old adopted daughter, who was her biological niece."
Was the child homeschooled (including "cyberschooling") or taken out of school?
Document 2 states that "Miller told police she was home-schooling Meela." The article also describes that Meela "hadn't attended school in nearly two months" before police and a school counselor attempted a welfare check, and separately that "she hadn't been to school in three months" when CPS requested a welfare check in August 2022. The child was removed from school and the guardian claimed to be homeschooling her.
Was the child in foster care at the time of the incident?
Was the child living with relatives at the time of the incident (but not parents)?
Is there any mention of a neurological developmental child disability? (e.g., autism, intellectual disability, nonverbal)
Is there any mention of a physical child disability? (e.g., feeding tube)
Is there any mention of prematurity or low birthweight?
Is there a history of child protection reports prior to death (for this child or siblings)?
Document 2 states: "KREM 2 found police records of at least a dozen calls from concerned neighbors and school employees to Cheney Police, Airway Heights Police and CPS." CPS stated: "Prior to the intake received on the incident involving the child's death, we did receive four calls between February and August 2022. Those were all screened out as they did not meet the legal definition of child abuse or neglect." Body cam footage showed Cheney Police and a school counselor attempting a welfare check. CPS also requested a welfare check in August 2022.
Does the child have a history of foster care (but not in care at time of incident)?
Is there a history of a sibling death (separate incident from this death)?
Parent/Caregiver Factors
Was an adult charged or arrested for the child's death?
Both Mandie Miller and Aleksander Kurmoyarov were arrested and charged. Document 1 states Kurmoyarov "entered a plea agreement" and "pleaded guilty to all five counts" including second degree murder. Document 3 states "Miller was sentenced to 32 years in prison" after pleading guilty to "homicide by abuse, assault of a child, and two counts of unlawful imprisonment." Document 2 confirms both are "in the Spokane County Jail on eight criminal charges, including homicide, child assault and unlawful imprisonment."
Is domestic violence by the parent/caregiver referenced?
Document 2 states: "Court documents show multiple neighbors had called the police concerned about domestic violence and the child's possible malnourishment." The term "domestic violence" is used, though it is unclear whether this refers specifically to intimate partner violence between the adults or to the abuse of the child within the household.
Is there any mention that the death occurred in a temporary shelter or while homeless?
Is an intellectual disability of the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is the mental health of the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is a history of arrests or criminal charges for the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is substance use by the parent/caregiver referenced?
Notable Details
Multiple systemic failures are documented. Document 2 details that CPS received four calls between February and August 2022, all of which were "screened out as they did not meet the legal definition of child abuse or neglect." CPS stated that "Truancy is not considered child abuse" and that DCYF lacked the "authority to investigate" without criteria meeting the statutory definition of abuse or neglect. At least a dozen calls from neighbors and school employees were made to Cheney Police, Airway Heights Police, and CPS. Body cam footage obtained by KREM 2 shows police and a school counselor attempting a welfare check but leaving when no one answered the door. Attorney Craig Mason explained, "because they stayed behind the door, nobody could gather any additional information." A separate welfare check in August 2022 resulted in an officer seeing the child "breathing" and "sleeping under a pile of blankets," accepting Miller's explanation that she was homeschooling the child and that they slept during the day. Additionally, the couple's home camera system unknowingly recorded them assaulting and restraining Meela (Document 3). The couple lived with the child's body for approximately three months after her death before attempting to have her buried at a funeral home in South Dakota, where the lack of proper documentation led to police being contacted.
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