Neighbor Says Death of Child Found in Swing Was ‘Hush-Hush’

(Chickasaw County Sheriff’s Office)

After a couple was arrested when their baby son was found deceased in a swing located in their Iowa apartment, neighbors claim that they heard about his death two months ago but details were unclear.

Zachary Koehn, 28, called 911 on Aug. 30, requesting an ambulance, telling the dispatcher that his girlfriend, 20-year-old Cheyanne Harris fed the 4-month old, Sterling, at 9 a.m. Then, two hours later, he died, Koehn claimed.

A medical examiner’s report, however, found that his account wasn’t correct, saying that the child’s body was in an advanced state of decomposition. The child had not been removed from the apartment for over a week. He weighed less than 7 pounds during the autopsy, CBS reported.

The couple was arrested Wednesday, Oct. 25, the Des Moines Register reported. They face charges of first-degree murder and child endangerment.

“The facts of this case go far beyond neglect and show circumstances manifesting an extreme indifference to human life,” said a criminal complaint.

Neighbor Misty Bergmann told KIMT that she heard about the child’s death in August but no details were given.

“We kind of heard right away that something had happened over there but everything was real hush-hush,” Bergmann was quoted by the news station as saying.

Court records say they had “a history of substance abuse,” specifically methamphetamine use, the Register said.

Harris is also being treated for post-traumatic stress disorder, but details are unclear.

Court filings in the case show that she lived in Riceville with her parents during the time of her arrest, and wasn’t staying with Koehn in their Alta Vista apartment.

Koehn has another young child who is in his parents’ custody.

The Register also found the man was charged with felony theft late last year in Mitchell County, but the charge was dismissed after he agreed to pay restitution to the city. He also worked as a truck driver.