An Iowa couple was charged with murder in the death of their 4-month-old son, whose body was found in a swing at the family’s home.
Cheyanne Harris, 20, and Zachary Koehn, 28, were arrested this week and charged with child endangerment and first-degree murder in the death of their son, Sterling Koehn, CBS reported.
The boy had likely been dead in the swing for more than a week, the report said. Medics were called to the couple’s Alta Vista apartment on Aug. 30 and made the gruesome discovery.
“The cause of death was a failure to provide critical care,” a court complaint stated.
“The facts of this case go far beyond neglect and show circumstances manifesting an extreme indifference to human life.”
The boy was found in a powered/swing seat in a different bedroom from where the couple and the other child slept, WHO-TV reported. The child was underweight, and a forensic entomologist discovered the baby “had not had a diaper change, bath, or been removed from the seat in over a week.” The medics also discovered the presence of maggots.
It started after an ambulance was called to the couple’s home after Koehn called to report that his son had died—just a few hours after he claimed Harris fed the child.
They’re being held in jail on $100,000 bond.
The couple’s next court date is Nov. 2.
