Woman pleads guilty to murder in Benton County child’s death
WARSAW, Mo. (KMIZ)
A woman on Monday afternoon pleaded guilty to helping kill a child in Benton County.
Kourtney Aumen, 27, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and first-degree assault. She will be sentenced at 1:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 21.
The hearing appeared suddenly on the CaseNet court records website Monday morning ahead of Aumen’s trial, which was set to begin on Oct. 26.
Aumen was previously charged with first-degree murder, assault, armed criminal action, child abuse and child endangerment. Deputies in Benton County say Aumen influenced three other adults to abuse two children at a rural property. One of the children, 4-year-old Jessica Mast, died in December 2021, according to law enforcement, after the adults forced her into a pond outside.
Deputies say they also found several bruises on Jessica and another young boy.
Court documents in the case claim the parents of the children, James and Mary Mast, told them Aumen and their neighbor, Ethan Mast, put them through the abuse to rid them of a “demon.” James, Mary and Ethan Mast have all taken plea deals in the case.
Aumen is currently being held at the Benton County Jail.
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