Ethan Mast Missouri man pleads guilty to murder of Jessica Mast 4 year old Benton girl amid ongoing abuse during alleged exorcism of demons.
A Missouri man has pleaded guilty to the second-degree murder of a 4-year-old child who died during the ‘exorcism’ of a demon according to Benton County officials.
Ethan Mast, 36, had been facing a series of charges following the beating death of Jessica Mast, a 4-year-old girl found dead on the floor of her bedroom. The man was one of four individuals charged with the child’s death on December 20, 2021. The girl’s death followed her being subjected to ongoing physical abuse during the preceding weeks.
Leading up to an upcoming June trial, Mast had faced first-degree murder, abuse of a child, child endangerment, assault, and armed criminal action, according to Benton County court documents.
Come Tuesday, the man entered guilty pleas to a single count of second-degree murder and a single count of first-degree or attempted assault involving serious physical injury or a special victim.
Ethan Mast’s attorney, Lacon Smith, said Ethan agreed to testify against the three others, identified as Jessica’s biological parents along with Mast’s live in girlfriend at their potential trials according to abc17news.
4 year old girl subjected to month long abuse before her death
Smith said she expected prosecutors to recommend a life sentence for Mast on the murder charge, which state law defines as 30 years in prison. She also expected both sentences for murder and assault to run at the same time. Mast would have to serve 85% of his sentence before he could qualify for parole.
Ethan was one of four adults reportedly charged in the death of 4 year old girl, Jessica Mast. A deputy found the little girl after responding to a 911 call from James Mast, 29, the girl’s father, in December 2020, according to a criminal complaint.
Though Ethan Mast shares the same last name as the victim and her father, authorities do not believe they are related, the complaint indicates.
According to the child’s father, Jessica Mast had been beaten, submerged in a pond, then left to freeze on the bank before being taken back into the residence. The girl’s mother, Mary Mast and a 2-year-old male child had also reportedly been beaten to a severe extent.
Along with Mast, the child’s parents, Mast’s girlfriend, Kourtney Aumen, 21, were booked with the girl’s murder following an alleged attempt to exorcise the devil from her according to the girl’s biological father.
Jessica’s parents are accused of participating in their daughter’s death after complying with Ethan and Aumen’s continual demands to come to their home and beat the four year-old with a wooden spoon. The couple, who were the parents’ neighbors are also said to have threatened to kill Mary and James Mast if they tried to intervene while Jessica was abused.
Investigators say Jessica’s parents were ordered to sexually abuse her, and complied. The parents said they feared if they failed to comply that wife, Mary would be next to be ‘possessed’ by the devil.
James and Mary Mast both face seven charges including second-degree murder, assault and child abuse. Both have preliminary hearings scheduled for July 1. Aumen’s case was moved to Webster County in January.
