Pattern of Harm

Indianapolis, IN — The mother of 1-year-old Oaklee Snow has been sentenced to 25 years in prison after pleading guilty to neglect of a dependent resulting in death. The girl’s body was found in a dresser inside an abandoned home in Morgan County, Indiana, in a case that began with an abduction in Oklahoma and ended in tragedy in Indianapolis.

Madison Marshall and her boyfriend, Roan Waters, were both charged in connection with the child’s death, which authorities described as the result of prolonged abuse.

Timeline of Abuse and Death

Oaklee was taken from her father’s home in Oklahoma on January 19, 2023. She was last seen alive at a drug house, described by authorities as a “trap house”, on Albany Street in Indianapolis.

According to court documents, Marshall told police that Waters had physically abused Oaklee, choking her, striking her in the mouth, and throwing her to the ground for minor infractions such as “holding a fork wrong.” She said Oaklee became so fearful that she refused to eat in his presence. Marshall also claimed Waters turned his aggression on her when she tried to intervene.

On February 9, the day Oaklee died, Marshall said she and Waters were awoken by the child crying from hunger. In response, Waters allegedly threw the toddler to the floor, causing her head to strike the ground. Later, he reportedly yelled at her to bounce on a large rubber ball, despite her being too small. Moments later, Waters allegedly summoned Marshall into the room, where she found Oaklee struggling to breathe in his arms.

Failed 911 Call and Abandonment

Marshall told police she attempted to call 911 but Waters slapped the phone from her hand. He then wrapped Oaklee in a blanket and the couple fled the home, with Marshall holding the unresponsive child in her lap as Waters drove to Morgan County. There, Waters disposed of the body.

A witness later reported seeing the couple leave the Indianapolis house with what appeared to be a child wrapped in a blanket. The child was motionless and silent, the witness said. The couple also abandoned Oaklee’s baby brother at the drug house, where he was later found and rescued by family members.

Arrest and Prosecution

Marshall led police to Oaklee’s remains, which were discovered inside a dresser in an abandoned home. She was arrested in North Carolina and returned to Indiana. Waters was arrested in Colorado on March 3, 2023, after police responded to a hotel call and discovered his outstanding warrants for child abuse and domestic assault from Oklahoma.

Investigators say forensic evidence, including the positive alert of a cadaver dog on the couple’s vehicle, as well as incriminating jailhouse phone calls from Waters, helped build the case. Prosecutors say multiple witnesses, including inmates, also provided testimony about the abuse and cover-up.

The home where the abuse allegedly occurred is owned by Waters’ mother and has long been a source of complaints, according to neighbors.

Sentencing

Last month, both Waters and Marshall agreed to plead guilty to neglect of a dependent resulting in death, a Level 1 felony. Marshall entered her plea in April and agreed to testify against Waters. Though Waters initially planned to go to trial, he ultimately accepted a plea deal in May.

On Friday, a judge sentenced Waters to 45 years in prison and Marshall to 25 years. Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears called Oaklee’s death “the culmination of repeated abuse” across multiple states, including Oklahoma, Colorado, and Indiana.

“This was not an isolated incident,” Mears said. “Oaklee Snow lived a short, brutalized life.”