Oaklee Snow: Boyfriend accepts plea deal in case of toddler found dead in dresser

INDIANAPOLIS — The man believed to be directly responsible for the death of 1-year-old Oaklee Snow has accepted a plea deal, according to court records.

Roan Waters was arrested in Greenvillage, Colorado, on March 3, 2023, after being tied to the abduction of Oaklee Snow.

Waters and the toddler’s mother, Madison Marshall, were accused of stealing the child from her father’s Oklahoma home and then taking the child to an Indianapolis trap house.

Snow died just shy of her second birthday, spotted being carried out from the trap house by Waters and Marshall while wrapped in a blanket. A manhunt kicked off for the missing child until her remains were found hidden in a dresser in an abandoned home in Morgantown.

It was Marshall, “hysterical and sobbing,” who led officers to the abandoned home.

Last month, Marshall pleaded guilty to neglect of a dependent resulting in death, a Level 1 felony, and neglect of a dependent, a Level 6 felony. As part of the plea deal, Marshall agreed to testify against Waters.

Marshall previously laid the blame for the child’s death at the feet of Waters. She eventually told investigators that Waters abused young Oaklee Snow, going as far as “choking her out” and beating her for simple things like “holding a fork wrong.”

Marshall accused Waters of throwing Oaklee on the floor while the pair were staying at the trap house in Indianapolis. Marshall claimed she tried to call 911 after noticing the child was struggling to breathe but said Waters slapped the phone out of her hand.

Waters’ plea deal

Court records show that Waters agreed to plead guilty to neglect of a dependent resulting in death, a Level 1 felony, along with two counts of neglect of a dependent as a Level 6 felony. As part of the plea deal, his murder charge was dropped.

The plea deal carries a 45-year sentence for Waters. By accepting the plea, Waters waives his right to appeal any sentence imposed by the court.

The court accepted Waters’ plea deal on Wednesday and set Waters’ sentencing hearing for June 13.

Marshall’s sentencing date is also set for June 13. Her plea deal included a suggested minimum 25-year prison sentence.