The badly decomposed body of a 1-year-old Oklahoma girl was discovered at the bottom of a dresser, and her mom and her boyfriend have been charged in the horrifying homicide.
Indianapolis Star reported that the body of Oaklee Mae Snow, who was reported missing in January, was discovered in a dresser inside an abandoned house near Martinsville, Indiana, on April 21 following a national search.
According to the news outlet, the Morgan County Coroner’s Office this week determined that the toddler, whose body was found stuffed in a drawer with a broken leg at the knee, was the victim of a homicide caused by “unspecified means.”
Investigators revealed that Madison Marshall, Oaklee’s mother, has confessed to her involvement in the horrifying death and led the police to the property, located about 25 miles south of Indianapolis.
Marshall has been charged with two counts of neglect of a dependent resulting in death and aiding a criminal. The authorities have identified her boyfriend, Roan Waters, as the criminal, who is facing a murder charge and multiple neglect-related counts.
The mother told the investigators that she and her boyfriend relocated Oaklee’s body to Morgan County in February after he allegedly murdered her.
Marshall was accused of removing her daughter and her 7-month-old son from their father’s home without his consent in January.
According to Fox 59, the three of them reportedly traveled with Waters to Indiana, where he has family living nearby Indianapolis. The couple stayed in a “trap house” on Albany Street in Indianapolis and used drugs.
On February 9th. Marshall told the investigators that she and Waters were woken up when Oaklee began crying because she was hungry.
She made an accusation against Waters, claiming that he threw Oaklee to the floor, hitting her head, because of her cries. She further alleged that he later yelled at the girl to bounce on a large rubber ball, even though she was too small for the toy.
She stated that she rushed to the living room, where she discovered Waters holding Oaklee’s unresponsive body, with blood and saliva dripping from her mouth, according to the Star.
Fox 59 reported that Marshall tried to call 911 upon realizing that her daughter was in critical condition, but Waters knocked the phone out of her hand.
Shortly after, the couple allegedly got into Waters’ car with the wrapped body of the girl and drove to Morgan County, where he got rid of the remains.
A “hysterical and sobbing” Marshall eventually led police to the abandoned home where the remains of what appeared to be a blond girl were found, according to the outlet, which cited new charging documents.
Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears said Oaklee lived a short, abused life.
“Her time on this earth was very much defined by adults abusing her and the allegation here is that abuse eventually led to her death,” Mears said.
“This child was the victim of abuse over the course of multiple days,” he continued.
“This was not an isolated incident. The probable cause affidavit indicates that there was abuse that took place in Oklahoma, Colorado, and Indianapolis. This child suffered for a very significant period of time and on Feb. 9 the culmination of that abuse led to Oaklee tragically losing her life,” he added.
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