A man has pleaded guilty to the death of a 5-year-old girl living in their Kansas homeless camp
Associated Press
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A man who lived in a makeshift camp with a homeless 5-year-old Kansas girl and her father has pleaded guilty to rape and first-degree murder in connection with the child’s death. Mickel Cherry’s plea Friday in Shawnee County District Court in Topeka means he will not face the death penalty. The 26-year-old had been charged with capital murder and rape in connection with the October 2023 death of Zoey Felix, but the district attorney had listed first-degree murder as a potential alternate charge. Cherry faces a sentence of life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years. Records show the child had a chaotic family life before her death.