INDIANA – Roan Waters, the man believed to be directly responsible for the death of 1-year-old Oaklee Snow, has accepted a plea deal, according to recent court records. The agreement drops a murder charge against Waters in exchange for guilty pleas on charges related to neglect, carrying a 45-year prison sentence.
Waters was arrested on March 3, 2023, in Greenvillage, Colorado, following the abduction of Oaklee Snow. He and the toddler’s mother, Madison Marshall, were accused of taking the child from her father’s Oklahoma home to an Indianapolis “trap house.”
Oaklee Snow died just shy of her second birthday. Waters and Marshall were reportedly seen carrying the child out of the Indianapolis residence wrapped in a blanket. A subsequent manhunt for the missing toddler led to the discovery of her remains hidden in a dresser in an abandoned home in Morgantown, where Marshall, described as “hysterical and sobbing,” led officers.
Last month, Madison 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 her plea deal, Marshall agreed to testify against Waters. Marshall had previously told investigators that Waters abused Oaklee, alleging he choked and beat her and threw her on the floor. She claimed Waters prevented her from calling 911 when the child struggled to breathe.
Under his plea agreement, Roan Waters pleaded guilty to neglect of a dependent resulting in death (a Level 1 felony) and two counts of neglect of a dependent (Level 6 felonies). By accepting the plea, Waters waives his right to appeal the court-imposed sentence.
The court accepted Waters’ plea deal on Wednesday, and his sentencing hearing is scheduled for June 13. Marshall’s sentencing date is also scheduled for June 13, with her plea deal including a suggested minimum 25-year prison sentence.
