Oklahoma 1-Year-Old Girl Found Dead in Dresser Drawer Suffered 'Horrific Death and an Abandonment': Prosecutor
Two people were under arrest in Indiana for the death of an Oklahoma toddler who was found inside a dresser drawer, officials said.
Authorities believe Roan Waters, 25, murdered the child. His former girlfriend and the child's mother, Madison Marshall, 22, faces “neglect of a dependent” charges, officials said.
Investigators in Seminole County, Oklahoma told KFOR-TV the case began in mid-January. That's when the father of 1-year-old Oaklee Snow and her 7-month-old brother Coleton Snow reported the pair missing.
Authorities say Marshall and Waters left Oklahoma with the children. They apparently went to Indianapolis, because authorities say Oaklee Snow was spotted in early February being carried out of what investigators called a “crack house.”.
Marshall reportedly claimed she was taking her daughter to a hospital because the girl was injured. Yet Seminole County authorities say the toddler never wound up there.
Instead, her body recently was found inside a dresser at an abandoned building southwest of Indianapolis. The cause of her death has not been released.
A statement Wednesday by Marion County, Indiana Prosecutor Ryan Mears said Waters was arrested in March in Colorado. Marshall was arrested in North Carolina, but the date of that arrest is unclear.
The Indianapolis Star reports Waters now faces six counts of neglect, in addition to a murder charge and one of battery. Marshall is not charged with murder, but faces several neglect counts.
“Oaklee suffered a horrific death and an abandonment that diminished the dignity that any child deserves,” Mears said.
Indiana prison records reviewed by Front Page Detectives April 26 reveal Waters has a prior conviction for burglary.
When Marshall allegedly left the home with Oaklee Snow in February, she reportedly left brother Coleton behind on a couch.
Someone called authorities, and Child Protective Services claimed him. Investigators say the boy is now back with his father.
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