Man killed his girlfriend's 2-year-old daughter in rural Kansas, police say

A man was charged Friday with murder in the death of a 2-year-old Kansas girl.

Chaz Zachery Stephens, 25, faces a charge of first-degree murder. He was originally arrested on second-degree murder.

Iviona Lewis was found dead Wednesday near Hoisington, Kan., a Barton County city in central Kansas.

Iviona had been missing since Sunday night. The Barton County Sheriff's Office, Kansas Bureau of Investigation and several other agencies investigated.

Iviona and her mother lived with Stephens, who was the mother's boyfriend, according to local media.

Iviona's father, Davonte Lewis, said during a vigil held in rural Barton County on Thursday that Iviona's smile "lit up the room."

"She would say hi to everybody, anyone she met," Lewis said, according to KAKE News. "I'm glad that he (Stephens) is arrested ... but at the same time I wish I could have done something."

Stephens has a history of criminal violence, according to court records. He pleaded guilty to three counts of battery and DUI in 2015.

In 2016, he pleaded guilty to possessing hallucinogenic drugs and was sentenced to one year in the Barton County Jail.

Stephens is jailed on a $1 million bond.

This story was originally published March 24, 2018 at 5:39 PM with the headline "Man killed his girlfriend's 2-year-old daughter in rural Kansas, police say."