Mother, who knew her boyfriend often whooped her nearly 2-year-old daughter and then helped him get rid of her body after he killed her, pleaded guilty
Indiana – In a deeply disturbing case in Indiana, a 25-year-old mother, identified as M. Marshall, has pleaded guilty to charges related to the tragic death of her nearly 2-year-old daughter, Oaklee. Marshall admitted to her role in both allowing and covering up the abuse that ultimately ended her daughter’s life. The harrowing case, filled with horrifying details of ongoing violence and cruelty, has shocked investigators and the public alike.
Marshall entered a guilty plea to two charges: neglect of a dependent resulting in death and neglect of a dependent. Prosecutors revealed that Marshall not only knew about her boyfriend’s violent treatment of Oaklee, but also actively assisted him after the child’s brutal death. According to court records, Marshall will face up to 25 years in prison for the neglect resulting in death charge, and an additional two years for the lesser neglect charge, though both sentences will run at the same time under her plea deal. As part of her agreement, Marshall will testify against her 27-year-old boyfriend, identified as R. Waters, who is facing murder and multiple other charges in connection with Oaklee’s death.
The tragedy unfolded after Marshall and Waters took Oaklee and her 7-month-old brother without permission from their father in Oklahoma and fled to Indiana in January 2023. Investigators said that for weeks leading up to Oaklee’s death, Waters repeatedly beat the young girl. Marshall herself told police that her boyfriend often whooped Oaklee for usual toddler misbehaviors. Marshall admitted that Oaklee had become so fearful of Waters that she would stop eating because he became aggressive when she did not eat fast enough.
On February 9, 2023, the violence turned deadly. Marshall recalled hearing Waters yelling at Oaklee to bounce on a rubber ball. After repeated yelling, Marshall entered the room to find Waters standing over the little girl. Minutes later, she heard him scream her name. When she rushed to him, Waters was holding Oaklee, who was limp and unresponsive. Despite Marshall’s attempt to wake her daughter, including splashing cold water on her face, Oaklee showed no signs of life. Marshall tried to call 911, but Waters reportedly knocked the phone out of her hand. Instead of seeking help, Waters wrapped Oaklee in a blanket and placed her in his vehicle. Marshall later checked on her daughter and found that she was cold, unresponsive, and had stopped breathing.
Rather than reporting Oaklee’s death, Waters and Marshall drove to an abandoned house in a nearby city. Waters entered the home through a window and stuffed Oaklee’s body inside a closet before leaving the scene. Months later, Marshall led police to the grim discovery, revealing the body’s location after finally being arrested. When police recovered Oaklee’s remains in April 2023, they found her body stuffed in a drawer, with her left leg broken at the knee and folded unnaturally over her chest. Investigators believe this gruesome positioning was an attempt to hide the body more easily. The county coroner later ruled her death a homicide of unspecified means.
The couple was arrested in Colorado before being extradited back to Indiana. As part of her guilty plea, Marshall agreed to provide full and truthful testimony against Waters in his upcoming murder trial, scheduled to begin May 12. If she fails to cooperate, prosecutors will void the plea agreement and proceed with the original, more serious charges. For now, Marshall faces a sentence of 25 years for the fatal neglect charge, and likely two years for the additional neglect charge, both to run concurrently.
Meanwhile, the father of Oaklee continues to mourn his daughter. Oaklee’s brother, who was found abandoned in a known drug house, was reunited with his biological father after the tragedy. This heartbreaking case underscores not only the fatal consequences of violent and abusive relationships but also the tragic reality of a mother failing to protect her child from the person harming her the most.
