INDIANAPOLIS, IN – In a significant legal development, a 27-year-old Indiana man has agreed to plead guilty in connection with the tragic death of a young girl whose remains were discovered in a dresser at an abandoned home, local authorities announced this week.
Roan Waters has reached a plea agreement with prosecutors, admitting to one count of neglect of a dependent resulting in death and two additional counts of neglect of a dependent. These charges stem from the death of 1-year-old Oaklee Snow and the endangerment of her younger brother.
The plea deal concluded an extensive legal process that started when Waters was apprehended in March at a Colorado hotel based on a warrant issued from Oklahoma. Initially, Waters faced multiple charges, including murder, following Oaklee’s disappearance in January 2023. After fleeing Oklahoma with Oaklee and her brother, Waters and the children’s mother, Madison Marshall, allegedly hid the girl’s death under unspecified circumstances.
Prosecutors detailed that Oaklee and her brother were unlawfully taken by Marshall and Waters from their Oklahoma home to Indianapolis, sparking a frantic search. The children’s father, Zachary Snow, reported them missing, saying the pair had been taken without consent.
Investigative efforts brought Oaklee’s brother safely back to his father, but the discovery of Oaklee’s body did not occur until late April. Authorities reported the distressing discovery after Marshall, while in custody, led them to the location where Waters had concealed Oaklee’s remains.
Marshall recounted to investigators a pattern of abusive behavior by Waters towards Oaklee, describing instances where minor misbehaviors resulted in harsh punishment. She alleged that Waters often vented his anger over trivial matters, such as eating or using items incorrectly, leading up to a fatal incident on Feb. 9, 2023.
On that fateful day, as described in court documents, Oaklee was being pressured by Waters to bounce on an inflatable ball while he shouted at her. Marshall intervened only after being alarmed by Waters’ yelling, meeting him in the hallway holding an unresponsive Oaklee.
According to the affidavit, despite attempts to intervene, Marshall claimed Waters refused to call emergency services and instead enshrouded Oaklee in a blanket, transporting her lifeless body to an unused house where it was ultimately concealed.
The plea agreement ensures Waters will serve a 45-year prison sentence, with each charge carrying its maximum term to be served consecutively. Sentencing is scheduled for June 13, where the judge will review the full terms of the plea arrangement.
Marshall, having reached her own agreement, will face sentencing on the same day.
Law enforcement officials express their hope that these resolutions bring some measure of closure to Oaklee’s family while underscoring the gravity of child neglect and its devastating consequences.