After a South Dakota couple was arrested for driving with the body of their daughter in tow, and not reporting the girl’s murder to police, several law enforcement agencies across the country have joined forces to coordinate.
After a disturbing report was made by a local medical examiner, police in Mitchell, South Dakota arrested Mandie Miller (33), and Aleksander Kurmoyarov (28). Someone called the Davison County Coroner, claiming that they had driven to the area with their “deceased daughter” from Airway Heights in Washington. The police located Mitchell and Kurmoyarov at Mitchell and found the remains of Miller’s adopted daughter, age 8, in a coffin attached to a U-Haul trailer. They had been in the state four days before they were arrested.
When questioned, Miller and Kurmoyarov gave conflicting reports regarding the circumstances of the girl’s death, police said. Kurmoyarov allegedly told them that the girl had died “a little before Halloween 2022,” while Miller claimed she had died on September 10. Kurmoyarov also allegedly added that the couple had never reported the girl’s death to the authorities because they “wanted to spend more time with her” and feared that they might “get in trouble.” The two never sought medical attention for the girl, the Mitchell police report stated.
Mitchell police took the couple into custody and charged them with failing to notify law enforcement about the death of a child. Mitchell PD also contacted Spokane and Airway Heights police, who had issued a warrant for their arrest for homicide-by-abuse. Both South Dakota and Minnesota have charged the couple. They remain in South Dakota. It is not known if federal authorities intervened in the case.
It is not clear at this time if Miller or Kurmoyarov would be extradited to Washington. A Class 5 felony is failing to report the death of a child in South Dakota. This carries a maximum sentence of five years and $10,000. Homicide by abuse is a Class A crime in Washington. It carries a maximum sentence that can reach at least 20 years and $50,000.
Washington police say that they also worked with the Spokane Tribal Police Department. The couple claimed their final destination was the Pine Ridge Native American Reservation in South Dakota. It is not clear if Miller or Kurmoyarov are members of a federally recognized tribe. Also, it is possible that the girl who died could have been a member of a tribe.
The couple claimed they would drive to the reservation, which is strange considering the reservation is in the southwest corner of South Dakota. Mitchell is approximately 270 miles to the east. The couple could have driven four to five hours to get to the reservation if they had planned to do so. Kurmoyarov appears to also be wearing a wedding band in the booking photo. However, police reports show that Miller and Kurmoyarov are not married.