SPOKANE WA — An Airway Heights man has been sentenced to more than 22 years in prison for his role in the death of an 8-year-old girl, according to information released by the Spokane County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.
Aleksandr O. Kurmoyarov, 31, was sentenced Feb. 10 in Spokane County Superior Court to 275 months in prison. In September 2023, Kurmoyarov pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, second-degree assault and three counts of unlawful imprisonment in connection with the child’s death. As part of his plea agreement, he agreed to testify against his girlfriend, Mandie Miller.
Miller was sentenced last week to 32 years in prison in the same case.
Court records indicate the victim was Miller’s niece and adopted daughter and had been living with Miller and Kurmoyarov in Airway Heights.
According to court documents, investigators determined that in December 2022 law enforcement uncovered evidence alleging the child had been abused, starved and ultimately killed. Authorities stated the child was confined to a room in the home and restrained for extended periods of time. The abuse and neglect were described in court records as occurring over a prolonged period.
The case came to light when the couple allegedly attempted to bury the child. Prosecutors said the child died in September 2022 and that her body was kept in the home until December. The couple then rented a U-Haul truck and traveled to Mitchell, South Dakota, where they reportedly sought burial arrangements at a funeral home without documentation of the child’s death. Funeral home staff contacted the Mitchell Police Department, which alerted law enforcement in Washington.
After obtaining a search warrant, Airway Heights Police, along with the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office and forensic investigators, searched the residence and developed probable cause to arrest the couple in connection with the child’s death, according to authorities.
Mitchell police arrested Kurmoyarov and Miller in South Dakota on a felony charge of failure to report the death of a child. They were later extradited to Spokane County to face charges.
During sentencing, prosecutors asked the court to impose the high end of the standard sentencing range, stating the 275-month sentence was appropriate to punish and deter. The court also acknowledged Kurmoyarov’s cooperation with investigators and his acceptance of responsibility as part of the plea agreement.
Judge Michelle Szambelan imposed the high-end sentence and noted in court that no sentence could ease the pain experienced by the child’s family.
Deputy Prosecutors Emily Sullivan and Amanda Fry handled the case, with assistance from victim-witness advocates and multiple law enforcement agencies, including the Airway Heights Police Department, the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office and the Mitchell Police Department.
