Mandie Miller, 36, Friday was sentenced to serve 32 years in prison, she’d pled to the murder of her adopted daughter and biological niece, Meela Miller, in September 2022

Miller and her boyfriend Aleksander Kurmoyarov, 31, restrained 8-year-old Meela Miller with zip ties, and bludgeoned her toes with a hammer as a ‘punishment’

The Washington State couple also deprived Meela of water and food, starving her to a mere 26 pounds before she died

Miller restrained Meela for hours upon hours, day after day, unbeknownst to them, their home camera system recorded them assaulting the child 

After Meela died, the couple lived with her lifeless body for three months because they ‘wanted to spend more time with her’ – police said

December 2022, they placed her body in a coffin inside a U-Haul, drove 1,100 miles to a funeral home in South Dakota 

Funeral home staff became skeptical when the pair arrived with the coffin but had no proper death certificates for the dead child

Mandie Miller, [left], Friday, was sentenced to 32 years in prison after she brazenly murdered her adopted daughter and biological niece, Meela Miller, 8, in Sept. 2022. Mandie Miller’s boyfriend Aleksander Kurmoyarov, [right], who zip-tied Meela, was also charged

A depraved Washington state couple tortured an eight-year-old girl and then fled 1,100 miles with her corpse in a U-Haul.
A court in Spokane Washington On Friday, sentenced Mandie Miller, 36, to spend 32 years in prison, following the admission that she murdered her eight-year-old adopted daughter, who was also her biological niece, in September 2022.
Miller and her 31-year-old boyfriend Aleksander Kurmoyarov restrained Meela with zip ties, and bludgeoned her toes with a hammer as a ‘punishment,’ Law&Crime reported.

Meela Miller, [photo], 8, was tortured by her adopted mother Mandie Miller, and her boyfriend, until she died back in 2022. Mandie Miller was also Meela’s biological aunt

The couple also deprived the child of water and food, starving her to a mere 26 pounds before she died.
‘[Miller] restrained her for hours upon hours, day after day. Unbeknownst to them, their home camera system recorded them assaulting Meela,’ Spokane County deputy prosecutor Emily Sullivan said at sentencing.
‘And unbeknownst to them, their home camera system recorded them tying her to a car seat with zip ties to restrain her,’ the prosecutor added.
‘The facts before this court are undisputed. They did assault her, they did starve her, they did restrain her, they did torture her, and they did kill her.’ 
After Meela died, the couple lived with her lifeless body for three months because they ‘wanted to spend more time with her,’ police said at the time.

Mandie Miller and her boyfriend Aleksander Kurmoyarov, starved Meela [photo], to death before driving 1,100 miles with her corpse in a U-Haul. She weighed 26 pounds before she died

The couple rented a U-Haul truck in December, placed Meela’s body in a coffin inside it, and then drove nearly 1,100 miles to South Dakota. 
After arriving in the state, they drove to a funeral home and requested to bury the coffin.
Funeral home staff became skeptical when the pair arrived with the coffin but had no proper death certificates for the child.
They contacted South Dakota police, who coordinated with authorities in Washington to obtain a search warrant, having established probable cause for their arrest. 
The initial charge was failure to notify law enforcement of death. Subsequently far more serious charges were entered against the pair. 
Miller’s partner Aleksander Kurmoyarov was first to accept a plea deal in September 2023, in exchange for his testimony against his co-defendant. In January, 2026, Mandie Miller pled guilty to assault, homicide by abuse, and two counts of unlawful imprisonment. 
Andrea Miller, Meela’s biological mother, took the stand and delivered an emotional speech. She concluded with telling her sister and the boyfriend that she forgave their vicious crimes against her child. 
‘I forgive you, and Jesus Christ loves you.’
And I pray this never happens to another child,’ Andrea told Mandie.

Mandie Miller of Washington State in January 2025, was charged with assault, homicide by abuse, and two counts of unlawful imprisonment. She would pled guilty to all counts a year later

Aleksander Kurmoyarov [right], and Mandie Miller were charged in January 2023. that September Kurmoyarov pled guilty to reduced charges of second-degree murder, assault and unlawful imprisonment. He’s facing 23 years in prison at sentencing, scheduled for Tuesday, Feb 10

At sentencing, Miller recounted her childhood in foster care while reading a statement that also touched on the brutal torture inflicted on Meela. 
‘My daughter did not deserve any abuse or neglect from me,’ Miller admitted.
‘She most definitely didn’t deserve any abuse from Alex.’
In September 2023, Aleksander Kurmoyarov escaped being sentenced to life in prison, pleading guilty to the reduced charges of second degree murder, assault and unlawful imprisonment, in exchange for his full cooperation, testifying against his co-defendant Mandie Miller.
The state’s offer was a reduced sentence of nearly 23 years. His sentencing is scheduled for February 10, 2026