A five-year-old girl from Kansas, United States, was raped and murdered at a homeless campsite after her mother threw her out of the house, according to a report in the New York Post. The accused, Mickel W. Cherry, has been arrested and charged with the murder and rape of a victim under the age of 14. He is currently detained on a $2 million bond and is scheduled to appear in court on December 21.
Zoey Felix was found at a petrol station on October 2 with life-threatening injuries and sadly died after being taken to the hospital, as reported by the outlet. Neighbors, speaking to the Topeka Capital-Journal, revealed that Mr. Cherry used to reside in the same house as Zoey and other household members. However, Zoey’s mother reportedly expelled everyone from the house, after which they decided to live at a campsite less than a mile away. The nature of the relationship between the accused and Zoey’s mother remains unclear.
According to the New York Post, the girl had a “turbulent” life at her Kansas home. Neighbors also observed her running around unsupervised. They shared that community members helped ensure her hygiene and provided basic care including bathing, food, and clothing. Zoey did not attend school.
One neighbor, Sharon William, expressed, “Zoey did not deserve to be in anybody’s woods. This is her home right here. She has one, two, three, four, five people that would do anything for her.” Another neighbor commented that Zoey would often come to her asking for food. She added, “Normally when a kid is persistent about staying like that, something’s going on at home.”
According to court records cited by the Capital Journal, Zoey’s mother has admitted guilt to aggravated violence with a dangerous weapon against a child born in 2018 with the initials Z.F. The court records date back to March, and she was placed on 18 months of supervised probation for the offense.
Zoey’s uncle created a GoFundMe page to cover funeral costs and described her as a “sweet, funny, and goofy little girl who had a great smile and laugh that lit up the world.”