Indiana – In a deeply disturbing case in Indiana, M. Marshall, a 25-year-old mother, has pleaded guilty to charges stemming from the tragic death of her nearly 2-year-old daughter, Oaklee.
Marshall admitted to allowing and covering up the abuse that led to her daughter’s death. The harrowing case, which contains horrifying details of ongoing violence and cruelty, has shocked both investigators and the general public.
Marshall pleaded guilty to two counts: neglect of a dependent resulting in death and neglect of a dependent. Prosecutors revealed that Marshall was not only aware of her boyfriend’s violent treatment of Oaklee, but also actively assisted him following the child’s brutal death.
According to court records, Marshall faces up to 25 years in prison for the neglect resulting in death charge, plus an additional two years for the lesser neglect charge, though both sentences will run concurrently under her plea deal. Marshall has agreed to testify against her 27-year-old boyfriend, R. Waters, who is charged with murder and other offenses in connection with Oaklee’s death.
The tragedy occurred in January 2023, when Marshall and Waters took Oaklee and her 7-month-old brother from Oklahoma without their father’s permission and fled to Indiana. According to investigators, Waters beat Oaklee repeatedly in the weeks preceding her death.
Marshall herself told police that her boyfriend frequently whooped Oaklee for typical toddler misbehaviors. Marshall admitted that Oaklee had grown so afraid of Waters that she would stop eating because he became aggressive if she did not eat quickly enough.
On February 9, 2023, the violence became fatal. Marshall recalled hearing Waters tell Oaklee to bounce on a rubber ball. Marshall entered the room after hearing repeated yelling and discovered Waters standing over the little girl.
Minutes later, she heard him scream her name. When she got to him, Waters was holding Oaklee, who was limp and unresponsive. Despite Marshall’s attempts to awaken her daughter, which included splashing cold water on her face, Oaklee remained motionless.
Marshall attempted to call 911, but Waters allegedly knocked the phone out of her grasp. Instead of seeking assistance, Waters wrapped Oaklee in a blanket and placed her in his car. Marshall later checked on her daughter and discovered that she was cold, unresponsive, and not breathing.
Instead of reporting Oaklee’s death, Waters and Marshall drove to an abandoned house in a neighboring city. Waters entered the house through a window and stuffed Oaklee’s body into a closet before fleeing the scene.
Months later, Marshall led police to the grim discovery and revealed the body’s location after being arrested. In April 2023, police discovered Oaklee’s remains stuffed in a drawer, her left leg broken at the knee and folded unnaturally over her chest.
Investigators believe the gruesome positioning was an attempt to conceal the body more easily. The county coroner later declared her death a homicide by unspecified means.
The couple was arrested in Colorado before being extradited to Indiana. As part of her guilty plea, Marshall agreed to give full and truthful testimony against Waters in his upcoming murder trial, which begins May 12.
If she does not cooperate, prosecutors will terminate the plea agreement and proceed with the original, more serious charges. Marshall is currently facing a 25-year sentence for fatal neglect and a two-year sentence for additional neglect, both of which will run concurrently.
Meanwhile, Oaklee’s father continues to mourn his daughter. Oaklee’s brother, who was discovered abandoned in a known drug house, was reunited with his biological father following the tragedy.
This heartbreaking case highlights not only the fatal consequences of violent and abusive relationships, but also the tragic reality of a mother’s failure to protect her child from the person who is causing the most harm.
