Benton County Sheriff: Parents arrested in connection to child’s death

STOVER, Mo. (KMIZ)

Benton County Sheriff's Department is reporting the arrest of Mary S. Mast, 29 and James A. Mast, 28 at a residence in Stover, Mo. this evening by the Morgan County Sheriff's Department.

James and Mary are the parents of the four-year-old that died on Sunday.

Mary is being charged with endangering the welfare of a child in the first degree resulting in death and domestic assault in the first degree.

James is being charged with endangering the welfare of a child in the first degree resulting in death and endangering the welfare of a child in the first degree resulting in serious physical injury.

Both individuals are being held without bond, the couple’s two young sons were placed in protective custody.

Ethan Mast, 35, and Kourtney Aumen, 21, face charges of second-degree murder, first-degree assault and first-degree sexual abuse in connection to the death and events leading up to it.

Benton County Sheriff Eric Knox says,

I have received many letters, calls and emails of concern regarding this child’s death and the surrounding circumstances to be the actions of a cult.

The investigation done so far indicates that this is an isolated incident and NOT the actions of a cult.

This investigation is ongoing and more charges may come according to the sheriff's release.