In a small town outside of Portland, Ore. 3-year-old Alexis Marie Pounder was found beaten to death and severely undernourished in an isolated home at nearly the end of a dead-end road. Oregon police say her father and his girlfriend are responsible.
On January 9, deputies responding to a disturbance call in Sandy, Ore., found Alexis Pounder's body - along with enough indicators to call in the Violent Crimes and Child Abuse teams.
Court documents describe little Alexis Pounder's death as being due to "blunt force trauma" and "acute starvation." Alexis' father is identified as 27-year-old Donald L. Cockrell. He was staying at the home where Alexis' body was found, with his girlfriend 24-year-old Michelle Nicole Smith.
During the January 11 arraignment, new charges alleged that Cockrell and Smith also assaulted and tortured another child, Alexis' sister, according to Assistant District Attorney Christine Landers.
Donald Cockrell, seen here with Alexis, and Michelle Smith were arraigned January 11 on two counts each involving the neglect, abuse and death of children - one count each of murder by abuse and one count each of torturing a child, and are being held without bail.
Heather Pounder, Alexis' biological mother, said Alexis and their other daughter had been staying with Cockrell and Smith since October. She says she and Cockrell had shared custody of Alexis but that Cockrell would rarely let her see the child. The last time she saw Alexis was December 12.
"There's really no words to explain what it's like for me. I try to find the words and I can't - my worst nightmare," Alexis' biological mother, Heather Pounder, said after the arraignment.
Alexis Marie Pounder was found beaten to death and severely undernourished in an isolated home at nearly the end of a dead-end road. Oregon police say her father and his girlfriend are responsible.
On January 9, deputies responding to a disturbance call in Sandy, Ore., found Alexis Pounder's body - along with enough indicators to call in the Violent Crimes and Child Abuse teams.
Court documents describe little Alexis Pounder's death as being due to "blunt force trauma" and "acute starvation." Alexis' father is identified as 27-year-old Donald L. Cockrell. He was staying at the home where Alexis' body was found, with his girlfriend 24-year-old Michelle Nicole Smith.
During the January 11 arraignment, new charges alleged that Donald Cockrell, seen here with Alexis, and Michelle Smith, also assaulted and tortured another child, Alexis' sister, according to Assistant District Attorney Christine Landers.
Donald Cockrell, and Michelle Smith, both seen here, were arraigned on two counts each involving the neglect, abuse and death of children - one count each of murder by abuse and one count each of torturing a child, and are being held without bail.