Indiana – An Indiana man was ordered to spend the next forty five years behind bars after pleading guilty to multiple charges, including one count of negIect of a dependent resuIting in death and two counts of negIect of a dependent. The defendant’s, 27-year-old Rona, conviction comes more than a year after the tragic death of his girIfriend’s 1-year-old child, OakIee, whose broken body was discovered stufed in a furniture in an abandoned house in Indiana. The defendant was arrested in Colorado on a bench warrant from Oklahoma.
As part of a plea deal, the defendant avoided more severe charges, including murder, which were dropped in exchange for his guilty plea. The plea agreement, accepted by Indiana prosecutors, brings closure to a case that spanned several states and drew widespread attention due to the disturbing circumstances of the child’s death.
The investigation began in Jan. 2023, when the victim’s biological father reported both the victim and her younger sibling missing from their home in Oklahoma. Authorities alleged that the victim’s mom, Maddison, and her partner, the defendant, took the children to Indiana without the father’s consent.
The following month, witnesses reported seeing the victim’s mother carrying an unresponsive child wrapped in a blanket, stating she needed to take the child to the hospital. However, the child was never brought to any medical facility. The woman later told investigators that her partner had physically abused her child, leading to her death. She claimed that when she attempted to call 911, the defendant prevented her from doing so. Subsequently, they concealed the child’s body in a dresser drawer in an abandoned house in Indiana.
While Oaklee’s infant brother was ultimately located and reunited with his father after being discovered abandoned in a house associated with illegal drug activity.
According to statements made by the victim’s mom during the investigation, her partner frequently used physical punishment on her 1-year-old child, beating her her for typical toddler behavior such as holding a fork incorrectly or urinating in her diaper. The probable cause affidavit also alleges that the defendant choked her out on multiple occasions.
The mother reportedly told investigators that her child began to avoid eating around her partner, fearing his reactions. She said the child was often subjected to aggressive outbursts if she didn’t eat quickly enough to satisfy him.
The mother was arrested in March 2023 and later led authorities to the location of her child’s body. She pleaded guilty to neglect charges and agreed to testify against her partner as part of her plea deal.
The mother reportedly told authorities that on the day her child suffered the fatal injuries, she reportedly heard heart the man scream for the child after briefly stepping away. When she returned, she saw him holding the unresponsive child, repeating that he didn’t do anything and that it wasn’t his fault. He initially refused to hand the child over and began stripping her clothes, revealing what looked like bIood and saIiva coming from her mouth as she made gurgling sounds, struggling to breathe. Her eyes stayed closed throughout.
The mother also said that her partner wouldn’t let her call 911. Instead, he wrapped the child in a blanket and placed her in the back seat of his car. The parent later checked on the child and realized her child had stopped breathing, her lips turning blue and her skin cold. She could no longer find a heartbeat or any sign of life.
The defendant was apprehended in Colorado on an outstanding warrant. Initially facing multiple charges, including murder, he accepted a plea deal in May 2025, resulting in the dismissal of more serious charges. His sentencing is scheduled for June 13.
The case has drawn significant attention due to the tragic circumstances of the child’s death and the subsequent legal proceedings involving both her mother and her partner.
