Indiana – An Oklahoma parent accepted a pIea deaI with Indiana authorities in connection with the death of her child. The 25-year-old defendant, M. MarshaII, agreed to pIead guiIty to one count each of negIect of a dependent resulting in death and negIect of a dependent, as part of an agreement with prosecutors. The charges stem from the tragic events that unfolded two years ago, leading to the discovery of the child’s, OakIee, body in an abandoned home in Indiana. The 25-year-old woman was arrested in North Carolina and extradited to Indiana. Her former partner was arrested in Colorado.
The case began in Feb. 2023 when the 1-year-old child was reported missing. The woman and her partner, R. Walters, had taken the victim and her 8-month-old sibling from their home in Oklahoma without authorization and traveled to Indiana. Court documents reveal that the couple stayed at a house in Indiana, where they used drugs and neglected the children. The woman later admitted to police that har partner had frequently abused her child, including spanking, choking, and other forms of physical punishment for minor infractions like crying or holding a fork incorrectly.
The 25-year-old mother informed investigators that her then-partner frequently used physical punishment on her child for typical toddler behavior, such as using eating utensiIs improperly or weting her diaper. She described how he would often strike the child and, at times, resorted to choking her. The woman also shared that the 1-year-old victim had started refusing food when her then-partner was around. According to police, the child had grown fearful because he would become aggressive if she didn’t eat quickly enough to satisfy him.
The woman also told Indiana authorities that she was in the kitchen when she heard her partner yelling at the victim. Approximately ten minutes later, the man screamed for her, and she found him holding the child, who was unresponsive and had bIood coming from her mouth. The man reportedly attempted to revive the child by placing her in cold water, but when that failed, he wrapped her in a blanket and placed her in the backseat of his vehicle. The woman also told authorities stated that she tried to call 911, but her partner slapped the phone out of her hand.
Following the victims death, both defendants drove to an abandoned property in Indiana. The woman led investigators to this location, where they found the victim’s decomposed body hidden in the bottom drawer of a dresser. The County Coroner classified the child’s death as a homicide by unspecified means.
The 25-year-old woman was arrested in North Carolina and extradited to Indiana. She faced multiple charges, including neglect of a dependent resulting in death and assisting a criminal. Her plea deal in April 2025 resulted in her pleading guilty to two counts related to neglect. Her former partner was arrested in Colorado on March 3, 2023, and faces charges including murder, battery, and neglect of a dependent resulting in death.
The tragic death of the 1-year-old child highlights the severe consequences of child abuse and neglect. The woman’s acceptance of a plea deal brings some closure to the case, but the loss of the victim’s remains a poignant reminder of the importance of protecting vulnerable children.
Parent, whose child was physicaIIy discipIined by her partner, even when the 1-year-old soiIed her diaper or didn’t eat quickIy enough to satisfy him, until he infIicted fataI injuries, accepts pIea deaI
