No family members were present in the courtroom during the sentencing. She said Sterlings umbilical cord test would have indicated the mother had used meth while pregnant or that the newborn had been exposed to meth. He said the last time he gave Sterling a bottle was a few weeks prior. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved. MOUNT PLEASANT, Iowa - A prosecutor in the trial of an Iowa father whose infant son was found dead and maggot-infested in a baby swing last year has told a jury the child "died of diaper rash . Zachary Koehn, center, is flanked by attorneys Les Blair III and Steven Drahozal, as he sits in court Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2018 in Mount Pleasant, Iowa. window.googletag.pubads().addEventListener('slotRenderEnded', function(event) { The infant's fathercalled 911 on Aug. 30, 2017,and lied to the dispatcher when he suggested Sterling had died of sudden infant death syndrome, prosecutorssaid. If not worse. Crime Scene Photos of the Tate and LaBianca Murders - GRAPHIC WARNING: Contains Gruesome Photos! Zachary Koehn, 29, is handcuffed after he was found guilty of murder and child endangerment Tuesday. window.googletag.pubads().addEventListener('slotOnload', function(event) { Cheyanne Harris is on trial in Plymouth County for first-degree murder and child endangerment in the neglect death of Sterling Koehn. Zachary Paul Koehn during a pretrial hearing on Tuesday. ALTA VISTA The father of a 4-month-old who starved to death in a swing seat in an Alta Vista apartment has lost a bid to get his murder conv. All rights reserved. He told the agent Cheyanne Harris then woke him around 12:40 p.m., crying and hysterical. The medical examiner ruled the child's death a homicide by failure to provide critical care. and He was extremely neglected," she said in the documentary, which aired on BBC Two on April 19 night.Dooley later explained in the documentary that not all murderers are equal in jail. A lot of people are asking how someone could do something like that to a baby, employee Debbie Crooks said. Koehn had misplaced a little black bag with meth and a scale, Clark said. 'Very open to the idea': Julia Wandelt takes DNA test to verify if she is missing Swiss girl Livia Schepp, Kayla Lemieux: Teacher with prosthetic Z-cup breasts suspended WITH PAY after pics show her dressed as man, 'We have lots to reveal': Madeleine McCann lookalike Julia Wandelt posts footage of meeting with PI probing claims, Lindsay Clancy case: Psychologist reveals psychosis red flags family members could have spotted, Dr Fia Johansson: Psychic helping Julia Wandelt might sue to get Madeleine McCanns parents to cooperate. Father Mark Murphy of St. Bernards Catholic Church here said he doesnt know if any message will help citizens feel better, but gathering together to say goodbye to the child will. We are one of the worlds fastest growing An Iowa woman charged in the death of her baby left the courtroom sobbing during the first day of her trial when prosecutors showed photos of her lifeless son in a swing set. Prosecutors said money and health insurance should not have been an issue for the parents. At trial,Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation Agent Chris Callaway testified Harris questioned her maternal care during an interview. He said he looked in Koehns truck but wasnt able to find the bag. The prosecution denied the defense's claims, saying Koehn was an experienced parent. That, along with dehydration and malnutrition, caused his death. They have an 11-month-old child and knew the couple also had a baby but never saw the child nor the father. Autopsy photographs appeared to show the boy . The candle is light in the darkness, he said. Zachary Koehnhad been found guilty on the same charges as Harris back in December. Zachary Koehn, center, is flanked by attorneys Les Blair III and Steven Drahozal during the first day of testimony in his first-degree murder trial in Henry County Tuesday. Video of the proceedings was being streamed live at. Harris recently appeared on a UK documentary, called Locked up with the Lifers, with presenter Stacey Dooley, where she shared that she was struggling behind bars. hitType: 'event', Lauren Fruen For Dailymail.com Jane Carter says late son received many threats prior to his death. Cheyanne Harris was sentenced to life behind bars without the possibility of parole in February 2019 after her son's body was found on a baby swing in a sweltering bedroom covered in a urine-soaked blanket, wearing a maggot-infested diaper. Here is a transcript of the 911 call to dispatchers the day Sterling Koehn, 4 months, of Alta Vista, was found deceased at home. The 21-year-old denies his first-degree murder and child endangerment resulting in death . ga('ads.send', { An Iowa woman charged in the death of her baby left the courtroom sobbing during the first day of her trial when prosecutors showed photos of her lifeless son in a swing set. Crime Scene Photos. The state medical examiner determined the boy's death was a homicide; his cause of death was listed as failure to provide critical care. On Aug. 29, the run started at 5:54 p.m., and he returned to Charles City at 2:36 a.m. Aug. 30. was found guilty of those charges in November. There was blood coming out of his mouth and his fists were clenched when police arrived on the scene at an apartment in Alta Vista. Schoeder said methamphetamine use is a hazard because it can lead to bad parenting decisions. It will damage trust in people who move to town, often seeking cheaper rent, said Boehmer at the library. Also during the DCI interview, Koehn said he had never changed a diaper and occasionally gave Sterling a bottle those were normally Cheyanne Harris responsibilities, and he cared for the daughter, he said. hitType: 'event', The boy's father, Zachary Koehn, already has been sentenced to life in prison. At the time of Koehn's sentencing in December last year, Assistant Attorney General Denise Timmins said: "Every action the defendant chose to do in that apartment that did not involve caring for [Sterling] was a choice, an act, which lead to (Sterling's) death. }); This article contains extremely graphic crime scene photos! He made the comment he needed to find it before anyone else did, the friend told jurors. But he didnt know Koehn had an infant son, this despite the fact he visited at the Alta Vista apartment. Friedrich said Koehn showed no emotion when he led her to the dark, hot bedroom where the baby's body was. Three other neighbors also said they rarely saw the couple. Chickasaw County sheriff's deputiesfound the boy's body in a bedroom separate from where Koehn, Harris and their olderchild slept. The child's parents have been charged with murder after their 4-month-old son, Sterling Daniel Koehn, was found dead last summer, weighing less than 7 pounds and in a diaper that hadn't been. Assistant attorney general Coleman McAllister told jurors the baby, Sterling Koehn, died after being in the same maggot-infested diaper for nine to 14 days when medics were called to the. Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Ramos described what she collected as evidence on the day of. Watt claimed Harris was suffering from postpartum depression. MOUNT PLEASANT Jurors heard from Zachary Paul Koehns relatives Thursday afternoon as his attorneys began presenting evidence to defend agai. Harris reported last using methamphetaminetwo to three weeks before her arrest and ZachKoehn said he last used meth two months ago,according to court records filed after the arrest. Autopsy photographs appeared to show the boy wearing camouflage pants and a shirt with a cartoon cow above the words "let's play" bleeding from the mouth. The jury took fours hours to deliberate before returning with a guilty verdict. Harris' trial was moved from Chickasaw County to Plymouth County because of pretrial publicity. Jane Carter, who goes by Jane Schneck on Facebook, posted the images on her page Wednesday in an effort to get authorities to investigate the "I Want Candy" singer's November death as a possible . Also pictured is defense attorney Steven Drahozal. Zachary Koehn and Cheyanne Harris of. Crime News is your destination for true crime stories from around the world, breaking crime news, and information about Oxygen's original true crime shows and documentaries. eventAction: 'view' "The monster, in this case, is mental health," Watt said, telling jurors they would not hear evidence of typical child abuse injuries, such as broken bones or bruises. She became overwhelmed in court by evidence photos of her deceased 4-month-old son. }); Was the Department of Human Services aware of the test result of the umbilical cord test prior to your involvement on Aug. 30, 2017? McAllister asked. media-tech companies with hubs around the world. NEW HAMPTON The mother of Sterling Koehn has waived her right to a speedy trial on charges she is responsible for the infants death. Autopsy photos showed that Sterling, who had on tiny camouflage pants and a shirt with a cartoon cow on it when he died, had blood coming out of his mouth. Father guilty of murder in the death of Sterling Koehn, 'He chose to do nothing': Dad gets life in prison for murder, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. So did the babys uncle, who is traveling from Mississippi for the vigil and turning right back around to return to his construction business. Bella Snyder and Cam Haar, who live in an apartment down the hallway from where the baby was found, were horrified by what happened so close to them. Baby Sterling's blanket was covered in urine and there were maggots on his clothing, the court heard. Information from: Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier, http://www.wcfcourier.com, Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. if(document.querySelector("#google_image_div")){ Zachary Koehn, left, listens to testimony with defense attorney Steven Drahozal Tuesday in his first-degree murder trial in Henry County. Zachary Koehn, center, stands with his attorneys as the verdict was read Tuesday in the Henry County Courthouse in Mount Pleasant. Recommended Photo Galleries. Shocking crime scene photos from the Aurora movie theater shooting and the killer's booby-trapped home were released by the Colorado District Attorney's office. Testimony about the test came out briefly Wednesday as a child protective worker for the Iowa Department of Human Services took the stand at the murder trial of Sterling's father, 29-year-old . During an exchange with Assistant Iowa Attorney General Coleman McAllister, Schroeder said the state wasnt notified of the test. "If I hadn't been high on meth, it never would have happened. On cross-examination by defense attorney Steven Drahozal, Schroeder said there may have been earlier warnings of the drug use. if(document.querySelector("#ads")){ MOUNT PLEASANT A former Alta Vista man has been found guilty in the 2017 neglect death of his infant son. MOUNT PLEASANT -- A former Alta Vista man has been found guilty in the 2017 neglect death of his infant son. hitType: 'event', We are no longer accepting comments on this article. The boy's father, convicted by aHenry County jury, is serving his life term at the Iowa State Penitentiary in Fort Dodge. The humid, blistering temperatures inside the bedroom eventually attracted flies, as the babys parents left him alone in an infant swing for nine to 14 day. You have permission to edit this article. According to the owner, Koehn had Aug. 26, 2017, off but worked Aug. 27, 28 and 29. It is one of the eeriest serial killer crime scene photos to date. She was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole on Tuesday, according to local outlet KOMO. Koehn apparently made $45,000 a year as a truck driver and had access to health insurance coverage for his family. Its been a topic of heavy lament every night in Schuckys Bar & Grill, one of the few businesses in town. Harris let out a cry when prosecutors presented the photos during trial, according to the Des Moines Register. Zachary Paul Koehn, center, prepares to exit the courtroom following a pretrial hearing on Tuesday. He said he had spent the day before before going into work - with his family and watched Aladdin, their daughters favorite movie. This time the victim was a 14-year-old girl named Dawn Basom. The baby sat in a diaper filled with feces until they started to decay. MOUNT PLEASANT Opening statements are scheduled to begin today in the trial of a former Alta Vista man accused in the death of his infant son. "She failed little Sterling,"McAllister said. These are the chilling photos that the prosecution showed jurors to prove that cheating husband Scott Peterson murdered his wife Laci and their unborn son Conner when she vanished on Dec. 24, 2002 and ultimately sent him to Death Row in California's notorious San Quentin Prison. As investigators descended upon the apartment, one of them picked up a camera and photographed the scene. The emergency medical technician was at homewhen she receivedthe call of an infant in distress in Alta Vista, a small city in northeast Iowa. pg.acq.push(function() { The skin on his limbs sagged like an older adults would after weight loss. Koehn's trial was moved from Chickasaw County to Henry County to counter pretrial publicity. They may be irritable, she said. Market data provided by Factset. Jodi captured the chilling photos of Travis last moments before stabbing him 29 times. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), Others are seeking ways to makesense of something so hard to understand. Cheyanne Harris, 21,was convicted offirst-degree murderand child endangerment resulting in death after her son, Sterling Koehn, diedof malnutrition, dehydration and infection. Zachary Koehn, right, talks with defense attorney Steven Drahozal during a pretrial conference in Chickasaw County District Court in New Hampton on Tuesday. He didnt hear a baby and no one went to check on a baby while he was there, he said. Zachary Koehn, left, talks with defense attorney Steven Drahozal during trial Wednesday. Pretrial conference for Zachary Koehn in Chickasaw County District Court in New Hampton on Tuesday. Sterling Koehn: The Baby Left to Die In A Swing Law&Crime Network 4.44M subscribers Try it free Subscribe 31K Save 2M views 1 year ago Notice Age-restricted video (based on Community Guidelines) I was so angry I felt I needed to do something, said Kim Judge of nearby Elma, Iowa, who organized the gathering. } window.googletag.pubads().addEventListener('impressionViewable', function(event) { Published on March 16, 2022 06:58 PM. Her attorney says it's not murder. At first glance, the . I grew up in a big city and you see this, but in a small town it hurts more. The OCCL has grown from a one-man operation in 1948 to its present day staff of 140 technical and support personnel. . Sterling had not been picked up, fed, cleaned or cared for in days. MEAWW is an initialism for Media Entertainment Arts WorldWide. Koehn helped deliver the newborn, she said. Sep 13, 2017 @ 14:10PM. Aug. 22:Iowa couple gets $3.25M after adopted son killed by birth father April 25:Father livestreams killing of infant daughter on Facebook Live, Its still the responsibility of the parents of the child," Danny Koehn said. Photographing the room, a deputysaw scuttle flies as he moved a blanket off Sterling's body,McAllister said. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), Kim Theis, a person who lives in a nearby town did attend the sentencing while wearing a ribbon to honor Sterling Koehn. Dr. Dennis Klein, Iowa chief medical examiner, center, talks with Denise Timmins and Coleman McAllister with the Iowa Attorney Generals Office during a break in the murder trial of Zachary Koehn, 29, charged with the death of his 4-month-old son, Sterling Koehn, in Alta Vista, in 2017. Answer (1 of 23): Before murdering her ex lover. I honestly think he will spend the rest of his life in prison, Danny Koehn said. Iowa's state medical examiner ruled the cause of death as a failure to provide critical care. But in all reality I think thats bulls***, she revealed in the documentary.I dont think I really have very many friends right now, the killer mother said as she admitted it depends on the day if she wants to live. Last week, the jury heard from Jason Clark, a man who testified he used meth with Harris and Koehn inside her apartment several times, for up to five hours each visit prior to the babys death. Zachary Koehn, 29, was sentenced in . Koehn worked evening and overnight hours, departing from Charles City to farms in Minnesota, Wisconsin and southern Iowa. The state of Iowa carries an automatic sentence of life in prison without parole for first-degree murder convictions. She began crying after prosecutors showed the jury crime scene photographs. Plymouth County jurors returnedthe verdict after more than fivehours of deliberations. Some expressed guilt that they didnt notice the family or the childs suffering. Are hospitals mandatory abuse reporters? he asked. Both were in treatment for substance abuse. Jail inmates are bullying Iowa mother who let infant son rot to death in maggot-infested diaper, reveals docu. But I told him, No, people do that all the time. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. Its sick," Haar said angrily. "Choosing to let your child slowly die a painful death is no less unlawful than beating your child's head against a wall until the child dies.". He said the child was grabbing his fingers. The following was written during early stages of my book, The Manson Family: More to the Story (published 2019 by Swann Publications) but I elected to omit this section from the final print. Defense attorney Steven Drahozal, left, talks with Zachary Paul Koehn during a pretrial hearing Tuesday. The images appeared to show him bleeding from the mouth wearing camouflage pants and a shirt with a cartoon cow above the words 'let's play'. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. He died of malnutrition, dehydration and an E. coli infection caused by being left in a maggot-infested diaper for up to two weeks. I talked to Zach a lot. But she said Harris, who reported last using methweeks before the death, had no ill will toward Sterling. On the morning of Aug. 30, 2017, Koehn called Clark after Koehn left work, according to Clark. Dr. Lora Darrisaw, the GBI Pediatric Crime Unit director and a forensic pathologist, conducted the autopsy on the baby and explained what was seen in photos taken at the autopsy. Sterling's parents Zachary Koehn, 28, and Cheyanne Harris, 20 were charged Oct. 25 with first-degree murder and child endangerment. Danny Koehn said he has talked to Zach Koehnsince he was jailed, and his brother was happy to see that citizens were coming to the jail to pray for him. Feces in his diaper ate through his skin, allowing E. coli bacteriato enter his bloodstream and cause infection, authoritiessaid. (Photo: Chickasaw County Sheriff's Office). reporters on a platform technologically tailored to meet the needs of the modern reader. The owner of the trucking company for which Koehn worked testified by video because of scheduling conflict. He is charged with murder in the death of his infant son in August 2017. Zachary Paul Koehn, 29, of Alta Vista, was convicted in under two hours and received a mandatory prison sentence of life without parole for the child endangerment that caused the death of four-month-old Sterling Koehn. Sterlings death comes amid a surge in child deaths in Iowa. let gads_event; She also revealed that if she had not been high on drugs, her son would have been alive. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. ga('create', 'UA-67136960-15', 'auto', 'ads'); Her mother had been recently widowed and it's a fair question to ask how much one person can stand. According to the prosecutor, the baby, Sterling Koehn, was left in a soiled diaper for anywhere from 9 to 14 days. Nichole Watt, a Waterloopublic defender representingHarris, said while Sterling's death is a tragedy, it was not a plannedmurder. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). The news Iowa depends upon. He said Cheyanne Harris got up to feed the baby. The grandmother told jurors Sterling was born in May 2017 in a bathtub of a friends house because he arrived one or two weeks early. In town, the outrage was still fresh. Pictures from inside the Plymouth County Courthouse in Le Mars show drug user Harris breaking down in tears as she heard the evidence in her trial. Prosecutors said Koehn called 911 shortly before 1 p.m. Aug. 30, 2017, and authorities found 4-month-old Sterling dead in a soiled baby swing in the corner of a warm, dark bedroom. Koehn and the babys mother, 21-year-old Cheyanne Harris, were arrested for murder and child endangerment causing death. Advertisement. He stated Koehn was a drug user. https://t.co/X6aN2MV79W. Harris was expected to useintoxication ordiminished responsibility as a defense, indicating in court records an Ames psychologistmay serve as a witness. Zachary Koehn, left, with defense attorney Steven Drahozal following jury selection in Henry County Court on Monday. When he took the stand in his own defense, Koehnblamed Harris for thebaby's death, saying he "put his trust in the wrong person." Harris' trial was moved from Chickasaw County to Plymouth County because of pretrial publicity. }); Last night, Stacey Dooley 's latest documentary Locked Up With The Lifers aired on BBC Two - and while viewers praised the presenter for her "brilliant" work, they were left feeling "physically sick" over one segment. Harris has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and child endangerment resulting in death. document.querySelector("#adunit").addEventListener('click',function(){ NEW HAMPTON Clad in jail stripes and a ballistics vest, Zachary Paul Koehn remained silent Tuesday when given the chance to comment moments , MOUNT PLEASANT Attorneys for an Alta Vista man are challenging the potential makeup of the jury that will be tasked with determining his fat, NEW HAMPTON An Alta Vista man charged in the neglect death of his infant son plans to call an expert on postpartum depression to testify whe. Then, see some truly haunting murder scenes from the streets of old New York. The young mother sat quietly as she was sentenced, the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports. Koehn's attorney had said the baby's death was a tragedy, but not a crime. In charging documents, a deputy wrote that the case facts "go far beyond neglect.". Lauren Fruen For Dailymail.com , updated A forensic entomologist who examined insects on Sterling's body concluded the baby had been in his swing fornine to 14 days in the same diaper. Weve got a bad reputation now., Oct. 26:Baby found rotting in swing; parents charged with murder Oct. 17:Mother worried about deportation drowns infant, 5-year-old, police say Oct. 16:Child dies after 325-pound adult sat on her as punishment. Alexanders injury were some of the most horrifying and most brutal injures ever seen,His common carotid,jugular vein,artery,and trachea had been cut opened almos. He was alert and playing around, Koehn told the agent. Zachary Koehn, 29, of Alta Vista, testified on his own behalf Nov. 2 in Henry County District Court in Mount Pleasant. hitType: 'event', An Iowa mom accused of letting her four-month-old son rot to death from extreme diaper rash wept in court after seeing pictures of the lifeless newborn in a maggot-infested swing. But state officials said they didnt learn of the test until after the baby died. Chief Deputy Reed Palo described finding maggots and larva in the baby's clothing during the autopsy. The couple's daughter Sterling Skye, 1, was one . NEW HAMPTON Clad in jail stripes and a ballistics vest, Zachary Paul Koehn remained silent Tuesday when given the chance to comment moments . The baby's "eyes were open, and it was a blank stare," she said. When the. And the Child Death Review Team, operating out of the Iowa State Medical Examiners Office, showed that caregivers involved in drug use or altercations mostly caused the seven homicides they investigated in 2013. gads_event = event; }); The boy's mother, Cheyanne Harris, is also charged and faces a separate trial at a later date.