One child dead, mother and second child recovering after being severely beaten

BENTON COUNTY, Mo. (KMIZ)

A toddler is dead and her mother and another child are recovering in a Sedalia hospital after all three were severely beaten Sunday morning.

In a Facebook post, the Benton County Sheriff said an investigation led Benton County deputies to arrest 35 year old Ethan J. Mast and 21 year old Kourtney T. Aumen, pending multiple felony charges.

The post says 28-year-old Mary S. Mast and two children were "beaten to a severe extent" resulting in the death of Mary Mast's four-year-old daughter in rural Cole Camp.

Mary Mast along with a two year old boy were transported by ambulance to Bothwell Regional Hospital in Sedalia. The sheriff said they were both recovering.

At 5 p.m. on Sunday, Bothwell told ABC17 News they did not have a patient by the name of Mary Mast.

The post says the father of the deceased child, 28 year old James Mast, said his daughter had been beaten, submerged in a pond, then left to freeze on the bank before being taken back into the residence.

Benton County Dispatch was notified just before 1 a.m. Sunday.

The sheriff post ends by saying this is an active investigation, and more arrest may be made.

ABC17 News reached out to the Benton County Sheriff's office for more information, but no more information could be released.

This is a developing story. Watch ABC17 News at 9 and 10 for the full story, and stay with ABC17 for updates.