Mother and Boyfriend Sentenced for Toddler’s Death

After a two-year investigation, Madison Marshall and her boyfriend, Lone Waters, have been sentenced to lengthy prison terms for the tragic death of one-year-old Oaklee Snow. Her body was discovered in a dresser drawer inside an abandoned house on April 21, 2023, following a national search after she was reported missing from her father’s home in Oklahoma.

The circumstances surrounding Oaklee’s disappearance are harrowing. Her mother took her and her seven-month-old brother without their father’s consent and relocated to Indiana. They ended up living in a so-called “trap house,” where the couple reportedly neglected both children before abandoning the infant boy.

Waters was apprehended in Greenwood Village, Colorado, on March 3, 2023, while Marshall was caught in North Carolina. Sadly, their actions led to a tragic outcome, culminating in the discovery of Oaklee’s remains weeks later.

According to police statements, the events surrounding her death were alarming. Marshall recounted that on February 9, an incident occurred where Waters threw a bouncy ball, causing Oaklee to scream. When Marshall rushed to the living room, she found her child unresponsive, with blood and saliva visible.

Following the incident, the couple fled, taking Oaklee’s body with them. An autopsy later revealed that the infant died due to murder from “unspecified means” and that her legs were broken.

Waters accepted a plea deal, resulting in a 45-year prison sentence, while Marshall received 25 years after also pleading guilty and agreeing to testify against her boyfriend.

A representative from the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office commented on the case, highlighting the grave failure of the adults entrusted with Oaklee’s care. They noted the severity of the sentences as a necessary response to the crime.

The couple’s remaining child, the seven-month-old boy, has since been returned to his father.