Oklahoma Grandma Accused of Drugging Grandkids, Locking Them in Dog Cage

In Warr Acres, Oklahoma, 53-year-old Davena Marx now faces charges of child abuse and neglect after police say she gave her two grandchildren antipsychotic medication and locked them inside a dog crate whenever she left the home.

Tip Leads to Discovery

The case began in March 2024 after a social worker and Warr Acres Police visited Marx’s apartment on a suspected abuse report. During that visit, an 8-year-old girl messaged the worker: “She is mean to us, she is very abusive.” Outside, the same child told authorities her grandmother “makes us stay in the dog cage when she wants to go outside by herself.” The 10-year-old grandson said Marx gave him prescription medication not meant for him—a claim later supported by a blood test showing traces of Seroquel.

Evidence of Abuse

At a healing clinic, doctors found bruises on the granddaughter’s back consistent with belt-whipping. The children alleged they were forced to do jumping jacks until they collapsed. Neighbors reported hearing Marx calling them “worthless” and “little bastards,” seeing them locked in a crate, and sometimes searching trash cans for food.

Police seized the large cage and marshaled medical records and prescription bottles during a warrant-backed search. Marx, who inherited custody of the children after her son was killed in a road-rage incident in 2022, denies wrongdoing—but the medical and lab evidence contradicts her version.

Possible Consequences

Marx is charged with one count of child abuse and one of child neglect. Authorities say she had hoped to regain formal custody, even preparing to move with the children—but now faces serious legal consequences. The children are currently in state care.