‘She brought light to my life’: Father of Zoey Felix calls for harshest punishment for Mickel Cherry

TOPEKA (KSNT) – A Topeka dad is speaking out Monday as the man who raped and killed his daughter almost two years ago is preparing to receive his sentence.

27 News got in touch with Ezekiel (Zeke) Felix on July 14 to hear his thoughts as sentencing proceedings move forward for 27-year-old Mickel Cherry. Cherry pleaded guilty last year for raping and killing Ezekiel’s five-year-old daughter, Zoey, in the fall of 2023.

Ezekiel said he was overwhelmed with emotion when Cherry brought his daughter to him. He recounted the experience to 27 News.

“When my daughter was brought to me, I just didn’t know what to think,” Ezekiel said. “I broke down, I really did. It really hurts me that my own child was just killed and she was the most innocent, sweet girl that you could ever meet. She brought light to my life, she was my motivation and that was taken away from me, from that day. I feel emptiness, I feel loss and something that was lost, part of me was taken away from me.”

Ezekiel said Cherry “knew what was right and wrong” prior to his daughter’s death. He said the arguments put forward by Cherry’s defense, that he is the victim of a “failed system” and suffered from abuse during his childhood, are not valid.

“They’re trying to justify everything and blame the system when he’s clearly admitting on the letters that he chose to kill her,” Ezekiel said.

27 News asked Ezekiel about his thoughts on the charge of capital murder being dropped. He said he “totally disagreed” with that decision.

“I have to be content that she’ll get justice for her whatever the outcome is today, and I hope that he gets the full sentence that he deserves,” Ezekiel said.

Prosecutors brought in multiple witnesses on July 14. They detailed what first responders found when they were called to help Zoey. A nurse examiner present for the first day of the sentencing proceedings said Zoey’s extensive trauma was the worst she had ever witnessed.

Cherry delivered two different stories to law enforcement but after almost an hour of questioning he eventually admitted to suffocating and raping Zoey. He said “something came over him” prior to the crime.

A Shawnee County judge is expected to sentence Cherry this week for the death of Zoey. 27 News will follow-up on this case with additional updates as the sentencing, which is slated to last for two more days, wraps up.

Past reporting

Topeka police responded just before 6 p.m. on Oct. 2, 2023 to a gas station near Southeast 29th Street and Southeast California Avenue regarding a medical incident. Police arriving at the scene found a child, later identified as Felix, suffering from life-threatening injuries. She went to a nearby hospital where she later died.

Police arrested Cherry shortly after Felix’s death on charges of first-degree murder and rape. Felix’s death marked the 26th homicide case of 2023 which would later be recognized for having the highest number of homicide cases in the city’s history.

The Shawnee County District Attorney’s Office later filed charges against Cherry on Oct. 5, 2024 for his alleged role in Felix’s death. It initially charged Cherry with capital murder, which carried with it the possibility of the death penalty.

Cherry pleaded guilty to charges of first-degree murder and rape on Dec. 13, 2024. Prosecutors dismissed the charge of capital murder.

Felix was living at a homeless camp in Topeka after being kicked out of her home shortly before her death. Cherry reportedly suffocated her with a pillow in a tent at the camp, according to The Associated Press (AP).

Felix’s death sent shockwaves through not just the Topeka community but also the State of Kansas as people called for change within the Kansas Department of Children & Families (DCF). Organizers held a “March 4 Zoey” in the days after her death in downtown Topeka, a local bar held a memorial ride in her memory and Topeka Public Schools planted a tree dedicated to her.

The DCF later released the case summary for Felix, detailing how her family declined state-offered services. 27 News revisited the events leading up to her death and spoke with neighbors one year after Felix died.

For more crime news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here.

Follow Matthew Self on X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/MatthewLeoSelf