Overview
- A Kansas judge sentenced 25-year-old Mickel Cherry to two consecutive 25-year terms for murder and rape, with parole possible after 50 years.
- Prosecutors said Cherry, who had lived with the family and was known as "Uncle," confessed to raping Zoey and suffocating her after police found him with dried blood on his torso.
- The attack happened at a homeless camp in Topeka after Zoey’s father left Cherry to watch her, and her sister later found her half-dressed and unconscious in a tent.
- Police confirmed three welfare checks on the family home and a separate domestic disturbance call, and state child services had received numerous reports about no running water, no electricity, and filthy conditions.
- Neighbors said Zoey often wandered dirty and hungry and begged to stay with them, fueling anger over why repeated warnings did not lead to stronger protection.