Alexis Marie Pounder

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Michelle Smith and Donald Cockrell met in 2008, each had two children from previous relationships and had one child together. They lived in a messy 700 square foot mother in law apartment at Smith's parents' home in a rural area. Alexis had short painful life, she wasted away and endured spankings and slaps that left her body tattooed with bruises.

 

On January 9, 2010 in a small town outside of Portland Oregon police and paramedics responded to a disturbance call to an isolated home at nearly the end of a dead-end road on Cottontail Lane. They found three year old Alexis Pounder in the middle of a messy apartment. Alexis was wearing zip up pink pajamas which hid her bruised and bony little body. The battered and emaciated three year old was dead. There were other children playing beside her body. Police say Alexis’ father Donald Cockrell and his girlfriend Michelle Smith are responsible for her death.

At Alexs’ time of her death she weighed only 21 pounds which was less than she weighed at her 18 month checkup. Her baby half-sister weighed 19 pounds and she was only 9 months old! Lexi was one of five children who lived in the blended family.

 

Lexi's life was one of constant discipline and shaming. She was incontinent and always in trouble for soiling herself. When the family went to a fast food restaurant, Lexi would be the only one who didn't get a meal. She was forced to sleep on the floor or to run as punishment.

 

In her last days of life, little Alexis had diarrhea and dry heaves. But, and nobody took her to the doctor. Blood vessels in her eyes had burst, leaving her eyeballs red. She was dangerously underweight. Cockrell had no explanation of why his daughter died he simply said "I woke up and found my daughter dead.”  An autopsy revealed Alexis died of “physical and nutritional child abuse.” The reason for her death was blunt force trauma and starvation.

 

Cockrell was convicted of murder by abuse in Lexi's death and criminal abuse for starving and beating both Lexi and her older sister Kara. He was acquitted of the more serious charge of aggravated murder, which could have brought the death penalty. Michelle Smith, testified against him as part of a plea agreement. Smith who admitted causing some of the Lexi's injuries, pleaded guilty to murder in her death and faces a minimum of 30 years in prison. Cockrell was sentenced to life in prison. Smith was also sentenced to life in prison. She must serve a minimum of 30 years before she can be eligible for parole.