Parents enter not guilty plea to charges in 4-year-old girl’s death

COLE CAMP, Mo. (KMIZ)

James and Mary Mast, the parents of a 4-year-old Missouri girl that neighbors allegedly killed, have both pleaded not guilty to charges in their court cases.

Both of them entered their plea during a hearing Monday morning to charges of felony child endangerment resulting in death and felony child endangerment resulting in injuries.

Both of them are being held without bond.

The court has denied both of their requests to attend the girl's funeral.

According to the probable cause statement for the parents, James Mast told investigators that Ethan Mast and Kourtney Aumen repeatedly assaulted James Mast and his family for the past two weeks with a leather belt and wooden spoon. James Mast said he allowed it to happen because Ethan Mast and Kourtney Aumen allegedly threatened him by saying James Mast and his family would go to hell and Ethan and Kourtney would shoot them.

James Mast told authorities that he and Ethan Mast are not related.

Court documents said Ethan Mast and Kourtney Aumen took video recordings of James and Mary Mast beating their children in case authorities were called so Kourtney and Ethan had visual evidence showing the parents abusing the children.

The couple told law enforcement that Ethan Mast and Kourtney Aumen monitored the home with security cameras which they viewed on their cell phones. They would then unplug the cameras when they came over to torture the family so there was no video evidence, according to the court documents.

James and Mary Mast both have court hearing on Jan. 5 in Benton County.