{"id":2059277,"date":"2023-10-07T19:45:02","date_gmt":"2023-10-07T23:45:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/homeless-man-charged-with-capital-murder-and-rape-in-death-of-5-year-old-kansas-girl\/"},"modified":"2023-10-07T19:49:05","modified_gmt":"2023-10-07T23:49:05","slug":"homeless-man-charged-with-capital-murder-and-rape-in-death-of-5-year-old-kansas-girl","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/homeless-man-charged-with-capital-murder-and-rape-in-death-of-5-year-old-kansas-girl\/","title":{"rendered":"Homeless man accused of capital murder and rape in 5-year-old Kansas girl&#8217;s death."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fhomeless-man-charged-with-capital-murder-and-rape-in-death-of-5-year-old-kansas-girl%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2059277&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>Man \u200cCharged in Rape and Killing of 5-Year-Old Kansas Girl<\/h2>\n<p>In a tragic incident that unfolded in a gas station parking \u200clot, \u2064a 25-year-old \u2063homeless\u200c man has been charged with the rape and \u2062murder of a 5-year-old girl in Kansas. Despite the efforts of firefighters \u2064to save her life,\u2063 Zoey Felix tragically passed away.<\/p>\n<p>Mickel\u2064 Cherry, the accused, is facing charges of capital murder, first-degree murder, and rape. Prosecutors may seek the death penalty in this case. Cherry is currently in jail in Topeka on a $2 million bond, and his next court appearance\u2062 is yet to be determined.<\/p>\n<p>Shawnee County\u2062 District Attorney Michael Kagay stated that a decision on seeking the death penalty \u2063will be \u2064made after a preliminary hearing to determine if Cherry will stand trial. This is a standard procedure in capital cases.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<h2>Related \u2062Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<h3><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/father-weeps-as-3-charged-with-murder-in-his-toddlers-fentanyl-death-at-nyc-day-care-5505182?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\">Father Weeps as 3 Charged\u2062 With \u2064Murder in His Toddler&#8217;s Fentanyl Death at NYC Day Care<\/a><\/h3>\n<p class=\"text-comp-caption\">10\/6\/2023<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<h3><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/world\/funeral-for-bc-mountie-rick-obrien-51-killed-while-serving-search-warrant-5503735?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\">Thousands \u2063March to Funeral for Murdered BC Mountie Rick O&#8217;Brien, 51<\/a><\/h3>\n<p class=\"text-comp-caption\">10\/4\/2023<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Mark Manna,\u200b from the Kansas Death Penalty Defense \u200dUnit, confirmed that his office would represent Cherry \u200dbut declined to comment further. Cherry&#8217;s family has not responded to messages.<\/p>\n<p>While authorities have not released details about the cause of Zoey&#8217;s death,\u200d former neighbors believe that she, her father, \u200cand Cherry had been living in a wooded area \u200bnear the gas station. They speculate that she was carried from \u2064the wooded lot to the gas \u200dstation, but the police have not confirmed these details.<\/p>\n<p>Kagay revealed in a\u200d news release that Topeka police responded to a gas station where fire crews were attempting to save Zoey&#8217;s life. Unfortunately, she was pronounced dead later. A\u2064 medical examination at \u200cthe <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/homeless-man-charged-with-capital-murder-and-rape-in-death-of-5-year-old-kansas-girl\/\" title=\"Homeless man accused of capital murder and rape in 5-year-old Kansas girl's death.\">hospital revealed injuries consistent<\/a> with sexual assault.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I think the investigation into the murder and rape of this 5-year-old girl is fairly complete,&#8221; Kagay stated during a press conference.<\/p>\n<p>When asked\u2064 about the possibility of charging\u2063 other individuals, Kagay said, &#8220;I&#8217;m \u200cwilling to consider any actionable investigations\u2064 brought \u200bto\u200d me.&#8221; However, he added that he is not aware of any other ongoing investigations at the moment.<\/p>\n<p>Timothy Phelps, deputy director of the Shawnee County Department of Corrections, confirmed that Cherry used to live at\u200b the same\u200c address as Zoey. However,\u2063 at \u200bthe time of his arrest, Cherry was homeless.<\/p>\n<p>Cherry\u200b has no criminal\u200b record in Kansas, but he does have a misdemeanor criminal trespass conviction in Amarillo, Texas.<\/p>\n<p>Neighbors had raised concerns about Zoey&#8217;s family home lacking electricity and had contacted the police and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/whistleblower-volkswagen-pushed-detailed-gender-and-sexuality-training-on-employees\/\" title=\"Whistleblower: Volkswagen Pushed Detailed Gender And Sexuality Training On Employees\">child welfare services<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;She just had a good spirit to her. Honestly, very\u200d outgoing, smart. She was curious about everything. She&#8217;d ask you a 1,001 questions, \u200cand she demanded answers for those too,&#8221; said Shaniqua\u2064 Bradley,\u200b a neighbor.<\/p>\n<p>According\u2063 to the Topeka police, they made three visits to the home in September. The first \u2064visit was on \u2064September 5 for a\u2064 welfare check due to the reported lack of electricity. Two domestic \u200bdisturbance calls were made on September 19, within a little over an hour of each other. The details of these calls have not been disclosed.<\/p>\n<p>City spokeswoman \u200dGretchen Spiker stated that during the first call, officers confirmed the absence of electricity and were informed that the child was not staying there. The\u2063 police met with the child, who appeared to \u200cbe in &#8220;good \u200cspirits,&#8221; but still made a report to child welfare and property officials.<\/p>\n<p>The city initially moved to condemn the \u2063house but halted the process when the utilities were restored. By that time, everyone \u200dexcept the mother had moved out, according to neighbors.<\/p>\n<p>In the woods a few blocks away from \u2064the home, where fire crews tried to resuscitate Zoey, a tent and \u200ba tarp were set up. Zoey&#8217;s\u200c father worked at the\u200b gas station, and his coworker mentioned that he was taking time off. The company\u2063 has not responded to inquiries from The Associated Press.<\/p>\n<p>A makeshift\u2064 memorial consisting of flowers, balloons, and toys was placed nearby.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\"><em>By Heather\u200c Hollingsworth and John\u200c Hanna<\/em><\/div>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> \u200cHow are \u2062<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-administration-offers-four-month-paid-leave-to-federal-employees-who-take-in-illegal-alien-children\/\" title=\"Biden Administration Offers Four Month Paid Leave To Federal Employees Who Take In Illegal Alien Children\">child welfare agencies<\/a> investigating any prior involvement with Zoey or her family?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  \u200d Istrict attorney, expressed his condolences\u2063 to Zoey&#8217;s family and stated,\u200b &#8220;Our hearts go out to the family and friends of Zoey Felix during\u2062 this <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/breaking-rapper-dmx-dies-aged-50-one-week-after-heart-attack-according-to-family-a-warrior-who-fought-till-the-very-end\/\" title=\"BREAKING: Rapper DMX Dies Aged 50, One Week After Heart Attack, According To Family. \u2018A Warrior Who Fought Till The Very End\u2019\">incredibly difficult time<\/a>. We will do everything in our power to seek\u2062 justice for her and ensure that\u200d she receives the justice she\u2062 deserves.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The tragedy has shaken the local community, with many expressing their outrage and sadness over the incident. Vigils and memorials have been organized in honor of Zoey, with community members coming together to support her grieving family.<\/p>\n<p>Child welfare agencies\u2062 have also been involved in\u200c the case, investigating \u2064any potential prior involvement with Zoey or her family. The Kansas Department for Children and Families is conducting an internal\u2063 review to determine if \u2064any follow-up actions were necessary.<\/p>\n<p>This incident serves\u2062 as a\u200b painful reminder\u2063 of the vulnerability of children and the need for \u200dstronger measures to protect them. It <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/nascar-criticized-over-apparent-discrimination-in-diversity-internship\/\" title=\"NASCAR faces backlash for alleged diversity internship discrimination.\">raises important\u2063 questions<\/a> about the \u200dsafety and well-being of homeless individuals,\u2064 particularly those with a history of criminal behavior.<\/p>\n<p>Efforts to prevent such tragedies in the future will require a collective response from law enforcement, social services, and community organizations. The\u2063 focus \u2064should be on providing resources\u200d and support to vulnerable individuals while \u2064also taking steps\u2063 to ensure the safety and protection of children.<\/p>\n<p>As the community mourns the loss \u200dof\u200c young Zoey Felix, \u2063there is a \u200dcall for justice to be served. The legal proceedings against\u200d Mickel\u200b Cherry will determine his guilt or innocence, \u2063and\u2062 if found guilty, the appropriate punishment. The outcome of \u2064this \u200bcase will have a \u2063significant impact on the community and the sense of safety and security for its\u200d residents.<\/p>\n<p>In \u2062the midst of this heartbreaking tragedy, it is important to remember the importance of vigilance and accountability. The safety of our children should always be\u200d a top priority, and it is \u200cthe responsibility of each \u200cand\u2062 every one \u2062of us\u200b to \u2064create an \u200denvironment where they can\u2062 thrive and be protected.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A 25-year-old homeless man in Topeka, Kansas, has been charged with the rape and murder of a 5-year-old girl. Despite firefighters&#8217; attempts to save her, the girl tragically lost her life in a gas station parking lot. Mickel Cherry now faces charges of capital murder, first-degree murder, and more.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":136,"featured_media":2059278,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[543],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2059277","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-epoch-times"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2059277","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/136"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2059277"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2059277\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2059278"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2059277"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2059277"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2059277"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}