Madison Marshall, mother of the late 1-year-old Oaklee Snow, has entered a plea agreement, pleading guilty to one charge of Neglect of a Dependent Resulting in Death, a Level 1 Felony, and one charge of Neglect of a Dependent, a Level 6 Felony, as reported by FOX59. The plea deal comes two years after Oaklee's body was discovered in an abandoned Morgan County home, an incident that sent shockwaves through the Indianapolis community and beyond.
Under the conditions of the deal, Marshall will serve a 25-year sentence and an additional two-year term, the latter running concurrently with the former, ensuring she doesn't face more time than the agreed 25 years, details by WISH-TV News 8. In exchange for her guilty plea, several other charges, including Assisting a Criminal who Committed Murder, have been dropped, and she is set to testify against her former boyfriend, Roan Waters, who is currently facing multiple charges including Murder and Battery.
Marshall's plea deal outlines that in pleading guilty to the charges she has avoided further neglect charges and she'll be expected to provide testimony against Waters, which could potentially influence the outcome of his trial. Roan Waters, the accused, faces a slew of charges including Murder, Neglect of a Dependent Resulting in Death, and Battery, his trial is slated to begin on May 12, according to information obtained by WTHR.
Documents suggest the tragic sequence unfolded after Oaklee and her baby brother were taken from their father's home in Oklahoma to Indianapolis, with the young girl later found wrapped in a blanket, carried out of what was described as a "drug house," and ultimately left in a dresser drawer of an abandoned building where she was found deceased, called in a statement from witnesses to FOX59. Previous altercations involving Waters and Marshall reported to Oklahoma authorities include instances of abuse, and one occasion where Waters allegedly obstructed officers from conducting a welfare check, as described in court documents detailed by WTHR.
Marshall's sentencing is outlined in the plea agreement that was reached on April 25th, with her change of plea hearing scheduled for tomorrow, following these two years of investigation and legal negotiations after the grim discovery of her daughter in 2023, as detailed by WISH-TV News 8.
