MORGANTOWN — Madison Marshall and her boyfriend Roan Waters, are accused of abducting 2-year-old Oaklee Mae Snow and her baby brother Coleton from their father Zack Snow’s home in Cromwell, Oklahoma on January 19, 2023.
The pair reportedly abandoned Oaklee’s brother 7-month-old brother Coleton in an Indianapolis drug house in February where family members ended up recovering the baby boy and reporting his abandonment to the Indiana Department of Child Services.
According to court records a witness reportedly saw 22-year-old Marshall and Waters leaving the Indianapolis drug house with “what looked like a child wrapped in a blanket”. The witness told police, the child did not appear to be moving, talking, or crying.
Waters told his family that Oaklee had fallen in an accident, and they had to take her to the hospital emergency room.
Marshall told police that her boyfriend, Roan Waters, killed the young girl and hid her body in a dresser in an abandoned Morgantown home.
According to court records, investigators say a “hysterical and sobbing” Marshall led officers to an abandoned home in the outskirts of Morgantown where the remains of a child were found in the bottom of a dresser drawer. The remains were badly decomposed but appeared to be a blonde-haired young girl.
Positive identification of the child’s remains has not yet been made due to the decomposed state. The Morgan County Coroner said identification could take two to four weeks.
“As a parent, we have a duty to protect our children. Not only did these two individuals fail to live up to that responsibility, but the allegations in the probable cause affidavit indicate that Oaklee suffered a horrible death and an abandonment that diminished the dignity that any child deserves,” said Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears, in a written statement.
Madison Marshall faces two counts of neglect of a dependent resulting in death, a Level 1 felony along with neglect resulting in serious injury, a Level 3 felony, and numerous other charges.
Roan Waters faces one count of murder along with two counts of neglect leading to death.
Marshall told police that he would frequently abuse the toddler and had often hit the girl and even “choked her out” on occasion. He would reportedly beat her for things as simple as “holding a fork wrong,” according to Marshall. Marshall allegedly told police that the abuse was so bad that Oaklee wouldn’t eat around Waters. Marshall told police if she tried to prevent the abuse, Waters would turn his abuse toward her.
According to court documents, Oaklee Snow likely died on Feb. 9. Marshall told police Waters woke to Oaklee crying on that day at the house on Albany Street in Indianapolis because Oaklee was hungry. Marshall told police Waters threw Oaklee on the floor and the girl’s head hit the floor leaving a bruise. Waters allegedly wanted Oaklee to bounce a large rubber ball, but the ball was too big for Oaklee to bounce. Waters said she then heard shouting and saw Waters holding Oaklee and the child was struggling to breathe.
Marshall stated she knew her child was dying and attempted to call 911 but Waters allegedly slapped the phone from her hand. He then wrapped the child’s body in a blanket and the couple left the home. Marshall said she held her child’s dead body on her lap while the couple drove to Morgantown where Waters disposed of Oaklee’s body.
Marshall and Waters were arrested in North Carolina.
Marshall is already facing felony charges of neglect and assisting a criminal. She is being held in the Marion County Jail after being arrested in North Carolina. Her bail is set at $2,000 cash. She was appointed a public defender Monday. She has a no-contact order with Waters’ mother and sister, the two people who took care of Marshall’s abandoned baby boy.
Marshall’s next court appearance is April 27. A motion has already been filed to increase her bond as the prosecution feels she could be a flight risk.
