Benton County child murder suspect set for Monday court appearance

WARSAW, Mo. (KMIZ)

A woman accused of helping kill a child in Benton County is set to be in court Monday afternoon.

Kourtney Aumen is scheduled to appear in front of Judge Brandon Baker at 2:30 p.m. Monday. The hearing appeared suddenly on the CaseNet court records website Monday morning ahead of Aumen's trial, which is set to begin on Oct. 26.

Aumen is 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.