The girl’s father received a prison term, while her mother was placed on probation after separate guilty pleas.
LAS VEGAS — A Nevada father was sentenced to 10 to 25 years in prison and the child’s mother received probation after both pleaded guilty to charges connected to the presumed death of their missing 3-year-old daughter, whose body has never been found.
Clark County District Judge Tierra Jones sentenced Ricky Beasley and Lakeia Walker on July 23, nearly eight years after Zaela Walker disappeared from North Las Vegas. Beasley pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. Walker pleaded guilty to being an accessory to murder. The pleas brought the long-running criminal case to a close but did not answer where the child’s remains were taken.
Beasley received credit for more than seven years he had already spent in custody. Walker received a suspended prison sentence of two to five years and was placed on probation. The suspended sentence may be imposed if she violates the conditions of her release. Those conditions include an order barring her from contacting Beasley.
Zaela was reported missing in August 2018 after relatives said they had not seen her for several days. Investigators said she was last known to be with her parents. Beasley and Walker initially told authorities that the girl was staying with relatives, but police said they could not find any family member who had been caring for her.
Police records cited in court reporting said Beasley became angry after Zaela wet her clothing. Investigators said he threw the child against a wall, leaving her injured and crying. Authorities also found online searches on Beasley’s phone concerning seizures in young children. Prosecutors said Zaela did not receive medical care after she was hurt.
Investigators came to believe that Zaela died from trauma or an untreated medical injury. Because her body was never recovered, authorities could not perform an autopsy or establish an official cause and manner of death. The lack of remains complicated the investigation, but prosecutors said other evidence supported the charges against the parents.
After Zaela disappeared, Beasley and Walker left Nevada. Authorities encountered them during a traffic stop in Texas in November 2018, but the child was not with them. The couple later returned to the Las Vegas area and were found at a North Las Vegas casino. Beasley was arrested in December 2018, and Walker was arrested on suspicion of murder in March 2019.
Investigators said Walker gave conflicting accounts of Zaela’s location. Court records described by local news organizations said she also told police that a vehicle trunk used by Beasley had developed a strong odor and that the couple cleaned it. Prosecutors argued that the statement and other evidence showed Walker helped conceal the child’s death after it occurred.
Authorities also reviewed recorded jail calls between the defendants and testimony presented during earlier court proceedings. Prosecutors maintained that Beasley was responsible for Zaela’s death and that Walker helped cover it up. Neither the evidence presented publicly nor the guilty pleas established where Zaela’s body was left.
Beasley accepted responsibility during the sentencing hearing, according to local court reporting. His attorney described the death as a terrible mistake followed by further bad decisions. Prosecutors disputed that characterization and argued that Zaela suffered for hours without receiving needed medical attention.
The sentencing resolves the criminal charges against both parents, but Zaela remains listed as missing because her remains have not been recovered. Authorities have not publicly announced a new search or disclosed evidence identifying a possible location.
Author note: Last updated July 28, 2026.