Man pleads guilty to charges in Missouri 4-year-old’s death

WARSAW, Mo. (AP) — A man accused of participating in the killing of a 4-year-old Missouri girl in what law enforcement theorized was a religious act has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. Television station KYTV reports that 36-year-old Ethan Mast entered the plea Tuesday, admitting to his role in the December 2020 death of Jessica Mast. The 4-year-old girl was found dead at her parents’ home. Investigators said the girl had been severely beaten and dunked in an icy pond as part of an apparent “religious-type episode.” Three others are charged in her death, including the girl’s parents, James and Mary Mast. Investigators say Ethan Mast, who is not related to the girl, and Kourtney Aumen were neighbors who carried out the attack.