Mother enters plea deal in death of 4-year-old daughter who had been beaten and submerged in pond
01/04/2023 1:11 pm PST
WARSAW, Mo. (TCD) -- A mother recently entered a guilty plea after her 4-year-old daughter was allegedly killed by a male neighbor as part of a practice to "remove a demon" by beating her with a belt and dunking her in freezing water.
On Dec. 20, 2020, the Benton County Sheriff’s Office received a report about a deceased 4-year-old girl. The victim’s father, James Mast, reportedly told authorities that his daughter "had been beaten, submerged in a pond, then left to freeze on the bank before being taken back into the residence."
The victim’s mother, Mary Mast, and a 2-year-old boy were severely beaten and transported to a local hospital for treatment.
Ethan Mast, who is not related to the victim’s father, and Kourtney Aumen were taken into custody. James and Mary Mast were later arrested and charged as well.
The girl had reportedly been beaten over the course of two weeks.
Benton County Sheriff Eric Knox said the girl was placed into a freezing pond and beaten as part of a "religious-type episode" to "remove a demon." The victim suffered bruising all over her body and apparent belt marks. She was reportedly found in the home wrapped in a blanket.
Knox reportedly said, "Law enforcement is based on facts, and the facts are…that the little girl died at the hands of Ethan and Kourtney and mom and dad stood by and watched it happened, as well as mom actually participated in some of it and she’s charged according to Missouri state statutes."
Ethan Mast pleaded guilty to second-degree murder on Feb. 22, 2022. He was initially charged with first-degree murder, armed criminal action, and first-degree assault.
On Wednesday, Jan. 4, the child’s mother entered a guilty plea to first-degree child endangerment, KY3-TV reports. Seven other charges against her were reportedly dropped as part of the plea deal, and she agreed to testify against two other co-defendants.
According to KY3, James Mast is scheduled to appear in court on Jan. 4, and Aumen is scheduled for Jan. 9.
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