Rachel Shannon

Roan was charged with murder, felony neglect of a child, neglect of a dependent causing serious injury, battery, and abandonment of a child.

Meanwhile, Madison was only charged with child neglect, neglect causing injury and abandonment, as well as assisting a criminal for helping dispose of a body.

The prosecution did not believe that Madison was actually directly involved in Oakley's death.

After these charges were filed, both pleaded not guilty and the case sat in the court system for over two years.

Both defendants were preparing for trial while investigators continued gathering evidence to hopefully secure a conviction.

But then by May 1st, 2025, Madison Marshall actually changed her plea.

She worked with the prosecution to come up with a deal.

She would plead guilty to charges of neglect of a dependent resulting in death and placing a child in danger in exchange for her testimony against Roan.

So she was set to testify against him at trial.

But then, just three weeks after Madison's plea, Roan also changed his plea.

On May 28, 2025, he pleaded guilty to neglect of a child resulting in death and two charges of neglect of a dependent.

The murder charges were dropped as a part of the deal.

So, by June 13, 2025, both Madison and Roan were sentenced for their charges.

28-year-old Roan Waters was sentenced to 45 years in prison, while Madison was sentenced to 25 years behind bars.

Neither of them had to take any real accountability for the horrific abuse Oakley allegedly suffered.

Roan got away with saying that he simply neglected Oakley, which still is a horrific thing to do.

Neglecting a child to death is horrific.

But beating a child to death, making her so terrified to even eat in her own home...

that's different.

That is intentional violence and terror against a young child.