By Jeff Devine
Dale County Chronicle
OZARK—Two former daycare workers accused of abusing several children at the Daleville daycare where they worked have both pleaded guilty to multiple charges in Dale County Circuit Court.
Kailey Gilley, 20, of Daleville, and Magan Koker, 30, of Enterprise entered their pleas Monday morning and remain in the Dale County Jail, where they have been held for over a year since their arrests on Sept. 14, 2024. Both women are scheduled to be sentenced by Circuit Judge Bill Filmore on Dec. 15.
Koker and Gilley were initially arrested last year after investigators with the Daleville Police Department launched an inquiry into reports of child abuse at Happy Hearts Christian Academy Daycare. The investigation began when Daleville police responded to a call at Medical Center Enterprise on Sept. 12, 2024, regarding a young child with visible bruises and swelling.
“Officers met with the child’s parents, who reported that the injuries were discovered after picking the child up from the daycare,” said Daleville Department of Public Safety Director and Police Chief John Crawford. “The parents said the bruises were not there earlier that day.” The child was treated and later released by medical staff.
Following interviews with daycare owners and employees, investigators gathered evidence that led to the arrests of both Koker and Gilley.
Dale County District Attorney Kirke Adams commended the Daleville Police Department for its work on the case. “The Daleville Police Department as a whole, and Investigator Noah Suiter in particular, should be commended for their investigation,” Adams said. “Their swift action and thorough work were key in bringing justice to the victims and their families.”
According to court records, the two were originally charged with multiple counts of aggravated child abuse and child abuse involving roughly a dozen children. Over time, additional charges were filed as investigators uncovered more evidence. The Dale County Chronicle has reached out to District Attorney Kirke Adams’s office for comment about a plea agreement and the terms, but our request for information was not immediately answered,
Sentencing for both defendants is set for December.
Typically, the Dale County Chronicle includes a disclaimer on all posts involving arrests and court cases, but since both defendants pled guilty, that disclaimer no longer applies.
