“SHE WAS ONLY FOUR”: KOURTNEY AUMEN PLEADS GUILTY AFTER LITTLE JESSICA MAST’S DEVASTATING DEATH

Jessica Joy Mast was just four years old when she died in Missouri in December 2020. Nearly six years later, one of the women involved in the case has admitted her role in the little girl’s death, bringing the family closer to another painful chapter in court.

The heartbreaking case of Jessica Joy Mast has returned to the headlines after Kourtney Taylor Aumen, 27, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and first-degree assault.

The plea was entered on Monday, October 5, 2026, ahead of a trial that had been scheduled to begin later this month.

Jessica died in December 2020 after being subjected to severe abuse, including beatings and repeated submersion in a freezing pond near her family’s home in Missouri.

The case shocked the local community and raised disturbing questions about how a young child could be subjected to such treatment by adults around her.

A LITTLE GIRL WHO NEVER MADE IT HOME

Authorities were called to a home near Cole Camp, Missouri, in December 2020, after reports of a possible domestic disturbance.

Inside, a deputy found Jessica lying on the floor near a set of bunk beds, wrapped in a pink blanket. She was already dead.

Investigators reported extensive injuries, including bruising and open wounds. Her hair was still wet, and evidence indicated that she had recently been submerged in a nearby pond.

According to court records, the temperature was around 40 degrees Fahrenheit — approximately 4 degrees Celsius — during the incident.

The investigation revealed that Jessica’s two-year-old brother and her mother had also suffered harm.

THE CLAIM THAT LED TO A NIGHTMARE

Prosecutors said Aumen and another neighbour, Ethan Mast, had convinced Jessica’s parents that the family was possessed by demons.

According to investigators, the adults used that belief to justify what they described as attempts to discipline or remove the supposed evil spirit.

Jessica was beaten with a belt and repeatedly forced into the cold water. Her parents reportedly said they were threatened with violence if they tried to intervene.

Benton County Sheriff Eric Knox previously described the incident as a “religious-type episode.”

The claims emerged through investigative statements and court proceedings, exposing a deeply disturbing chain of events that ended in the death of a four-year-old child.

A GUILTY PLEA YEARS AFTER HER DEATH

Aumen had originally faced more serious charges, including first-degree murder, alongside other alleged offences.

On October 5, 2026, she pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and first-degree assault in connection with Jessica’s death.

She is scheduled to be sentenced on December 21, 2026.

Ethan Mast has also pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the case.

Jessica’s parents faced separate criminal proceedings. Her father, James Mast, previously pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and first-degree assault, but later sought to withdraw his plea. His legal efforts to challenge it have continued. Her mother, Mary Mast, pleaded guilty to child endangerment.

The separate cases involve different pleas and legal proceedings, and their outcomes should not be confused with Aumen’s admission of guilt.

A COMMUNITY STILL REMEMBERS JESSICA

For those who remember Jessica, the legal developments cannot undo the loss of a child whose life ended at just four years old.

Her case remains a painful reminder of the responsibility adults have to protect children, particularly when vulnerable family members are unable to seek help themselves.

Aumen’s guilty plea brings one part of the case closer to sentencing, but other legal matters remain ongoing.

Jessica’s name continues to be remembered as the proceedings move forward — a little girl whose life deserved far more than the suffering described in court.

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