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. 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. When he took the stand in his own defense, Koehnblamed Harris for thebaby's death, saying he "put his trust in the wrong person." 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. Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Chickasaw County sheriff's deputiesfound the boy's body in a bedroom separate from where Koehn, Harris and their olderchild slept. Defense attorney Steven Drahozal, left, and Zachary Paul Koehn during for a conference on Tuesday, May 22, 2018. The comments below have not been moderated, By
Koehn made $45,000 a year and had access to health insurance as a truck driver who hauled chickens from Wisconsin to Charles City, Iowa. Jordan Clark, a former friend of Koehn's, had testified that he wasn't even aware the man had a baby. A forensic entomologist who examined insects on Sterling's body concluded the baby had been in his swing for nine to 14 days in the same diaper. But she said Harris, who reported last using methweeks before the death, had no ill will toward Sterling. It also uncovered maggots on the child's skin and clothes, indicating he hadn't been washed, changed or removed from the swing in more than a week. [Feature Photo: Sterling Koehn & Cheyenne Harris/Police Handout], Florida Man Convicted of Abusing & Murdering Months-Old Son, Found with Severe Internal Injuries, Isabel Celis: Jury Deadlocks in Trial of Man Who Allegedly Murdered Two Young Arizona Girls, Alex Murdaugh Begins Prison Sentence With New Haircut. Clark, who worked for another trucking company hauling chickens, told jurors he knew Koehn had a daughter because he talked about her. I was not a good person when I was on meth and trying to be a mum. Feces in his diaper ate through his skin, allowing E. coli bacteriato enter his bloodstream and cause infection. Crime scene photos from 2019 double murder case against Alyssa Torres. Koehn's attorney had said the baby's death was a tragedy, but not a crime. Credit: Law and Crime. Autopsy photographs appeared to show the boy . Cheyanne Harris, 21, was convicted earlier this month of first-degree murder and child endangerment for the death of her 4-month-old son Sterling Koehn. Among the mourners at Saturday's vigil will be ZachKoehns brother Danny, who said he knew the couple had drug problems. No family members were present in the courtroom during the sentencing. Instead, she found 4-month-old Sterling Koehn dead in a swing that faced a wall, his fists clenched together, a prosecutor said. if(document.querySelector("#adunit")){ Assistant Iowa Attorney General Coleman McAllister told jurors Tuesday that 4-month-old Sterling Koehn had been in the same diaper for nine to 14 days when his body was found in the swing Aug. 30, 2017, at his parents' Alta Vista apartment, the Courier reported . #CheyanneHarris - Harris's reaction when judge read the verdict of guilty of murder in the first degree. Now both his parents will spend the rest of their lives behind bars. He was also shot in the wrist. MOUNT PLEASANT Zachary Paul Koehn took the stand Friday to challenge charges he is responsible for his infant sons death from neglect in 2017. EDITORS NOTE: This article contains graphic content. Cheyanne Harris will be tried separately. "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.". eventAction: 'view' Harris, along with the babys father,29-year-old Zachary Paul Koehn, failed to take care of their infant son, yet still provided care for their oldest child, a toddler. 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. Market data provided by Factset. He died of malnutrition, dehydration and an E. coli infection caused by being left in a maggot-infested diaper for up to two weeks. During Koehn's trial the court had heard devastating testimony about how the boy's maggot-infested body was found after he died of extreme "diaper rash" at the trial for murder. Initially, the boy's father, Zachary Koehn, claimed his son died from sudden infant death syndrome. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Authorities said the babys feces inside his diaper seeped through his skin, causing an E. coli bacteria build-up in his bloodstream. } The prosecution's lawyer noted that Koehn's 2-year-old daughter was also in the apartment and was healthy, and that Koehn had money to buy food and baby supplies. ga('ads.send', { He told the agent Cheyanne Harris then woke him around 12:40 p.m., crying and hysterical. reporters on a platform technologically tailored to meet the needs of the modern reader. The 22-year-old has said that other convicts at the Correctional Institute for Women in Mitchelville, Iowa, are making her life a living hell. Zachary Koehn at a pretrial conference in Chickasaw County District Court in New Hampton in March. How do you protect your children from predators? The new doc saw 33-year-old Stacey visit a controversial women's prison in Iowa, which seeks to . Please subscribe to keep reading. , updated }); Cheyanne Harris is on trial in Plymouth County for first-degree murder and child endangerment in the neglect death of Sterling Koehn. Caylee Anthony crime scene photo A photo entered in evidence is shown on a courtroom monitor during the Casey Anthony trial at the Orange County Courthouse on Thursday.. She was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole on Tuesday, according to local outlet KOMO. Nichole Watt, a Waterloopublic defender representingHarris, said while Sterling's death is a tragedy, it was not a plannedmurder. Richard was extremely mentally ill, he was a hypochondriac paranoid schizophrenic with delusions. But I told him, No, people do that all the time. Is it safe to say that somebody at the hospital did not do what the law required? Drahozal asked. 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. During an exchange with Assistant Iowa Attorney General Coleman McAllister, Schroeder said the state wasnt notified of the test. Please subscribe to keep reading. But he didnt know Koehn had an infant son, this despite the fact he visited at the Alta Vista apartment. or redistributed. Jordan Clark told jurors he had been Zachary Koehns apartment in 2017 but didnt know he had a baby. Defence attorney Nichole Watt said: 'The monster in this case is mental health. Koehn helped deliver the newborn, she said. The trial was moved to Mount Pleasant from Chickasaw County on a change of venue. https://t.co/X6aN2MV79W. "So Im not saying hes innocent.. Crime Scene Photos of the Tate and LaBianca Murders - GRAPHIC WARNING: Contains Gruesome Photos! That's right, diaper rash," McAllister said. MEAWW brings you the best content from its global team of }); HARROWING crime scene photos from the campsite where Gabby Petito was found dead have been revealed as her autopsy found her to be strangled. Harris suffered frompostpartum depression and self-medicated, but she had no desire to harm her son, she said. Agent John Turbett with the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation interviewed Zachary Koehn following Sterling Koehns death. The Iowa mother of a neglected infant whose corpse was discovered in 2017 wearing a feces-filled, maggot-infested diaper has been sentenced to life behind bars. As investigators descended upon the apartment, one of them picked up a camera and photographed the scene. }); MITCHELLVILLE, IOWA: A mother who is in jail for letting her infant son rot to death while she got high on crystal meth has complained that she is being bullied by other inmates since they are disgusted by her crime.Cheyanne Harris was sentenced to life behind bars without the possibility of parole in February 2019 after her sons body was found on a baby swing in a sweltering bedroom covered in a urine-soaked blanket, wearing a maggot-infested diaper. Many horrific things happened. The young mother sat quietly as she was sentenced, the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports. The photo above shows the tools the authorities found at the back of his VW Beetle in August 1975. Three other neighbors also said they rarely saw the couple. window.googletag.pubads().addEventListener('impressionViewable', function(event) { } Zachary Koehn, left, listens to testimony with defense attorney Steven Drahozal Tuesday in his first-degree murder trial in Henry County. . reply | flag message 3: by Fishface (new) Sep 28, 2019 10:01AM Clark, who met the couple while working with Koehn, said he knew only of a 2-year-old daughter, who was in the apartment when he went to the master bedroom to smoke meth with her parents. A coroner's report showed the baby died of malnutrition, dehydration and the infection. eventAction: 'click_adunit' No child deserves to go through anything like that.. GRAPHIC CONTENT: Jury sees bloody photos from the FAMILY MASSACRE MURDER TRIAL crime scene. Cheyanne Harris, 21, was convicted of. }) 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. An autopsy shows he died of malnutrition, dehydration and an E. coli infection caused by being left in a maggot-infested diaper for up to two weeks. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Some expressed guilt that they didnt notice the family or the childs suffering. From the summer of 1979 to 1981, over 27 young black males were killed in the Atlanta area. ", Father guilty of murder in the death of Sterling Koehn, 'He chose to do nothing': Dad gets life in prison for murder, the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reported. We are one of the worlds fastest growing 6th grade student arrested on weapon charge; BB gun found in backpack. The boy's father, Zachary Koehn, already has been sentenced to life in prison. The infants diaper had not been changed for between nine and 14 days, and E. coli bacteria in the feces made its way into his bloodstream. In charging documents, a deputy said the case facts "go far beyond neglect. A judge allowed Brandy Harris to testify without being photographed because of death threats and harassment through social media. Lauren Fruen For Dailymail.com
The couple's cash bond was set at $100,000, and they . Chief Deputy Reed Palo said Harris told him she had fed the baby about four ounces the night before he was found. When she moved his blanket, gnats flew up, she said. Koehn told DCI Agent John Turbett he arrived home around 4:45 a.m. and heard Sterling crying around 6 a.m. as he was drifting off to sleep. Sterling's parents Zachary Koehn, 28, and Cheyanne Harris, 20 were charged Oct. 25 with first-degree murder and child endangerment. Jane Carter says late son received many threats prior to his death. If not worse. Zachary Koehn tells his side in death of baby Sterling Koehn murder trial: Defense begins case in baby's death Koehn murder trial: Warning signs started as early as slain baby's birth. Agent John Turbett with the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation interviewed Zachary Koehn following Sterling Koehns death. The news Iowa depends upon. The couple's daughter Sterling Skye, 1, was one . 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. Koehn would later tell agents with the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation that medics took Sterling to a Cresco hospital and then moved him to Mercy in Mason City because he had water in his lungs. Ramos described what she collected as evidence on the day of. They may be irritable, she said. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. The baby's father,Zachary Koehn, 29, was convictedin November of the same charges. Judge Richard Stochl during a pretrial conference for Zachary Koehn on Tuesday. Harris' trial was moved from Chickasaw County to Plymouth County because of pretrial publicity. Iowa's state medical examiner ruled the cause of death as a failure to provide critical care. As Sterling was left in the swing, the couplecontinued to clothe and feed their healthy 2-year-old daughter, McAllister said. The medical examiner ruled the child's death a homicide by failure to provide critical care. The grandmother said she had never been inside the Alta Vista apartment because she didnt get along with Koehn. Authorities said Sterling died of neglect; he was malnourished, and he hadnt had a diaper change for at least week, as evidenced by maggots on his clothing. Tragic and Disturbing Cases of Child Abuse, Five Things Parents Should Know To Prevent Child Sex Abuse, Body of Missing Illinois Child AJ Freund Found, Parents Charged. A jury on Wednesdayfound a northeast Iowamotherguiltyof murder in the death of her infant son, whose body was found in a maggot-infested diaper. "If I hadn't been high on meth, it never would have happened. Zachary Koehn, 29, of Alta Vista, is led out of the Henry County Courthouse after he was found guilty of murder and child endangerment Tuesday. Another convict named Tara told Dooley, Yeah theyll f*** with her a lot [because of what shes in here for]. When the presenter asked her if the abuse will continue, Tara said: Oh yeah. Harris suffered frompostpartum depression and self-medicated, but she had no desire to harm her son, she said. Zachary Paul Koehn enters the courtroom for a conference Tuesday. But state officials said they didnt learn of the test until after the baby died. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), Cheyanne Harris, at left, and Zachary Koehn: Parents plead not guilty in Alta Vista child death, Trial date set for father in child death case, Zachary Koehn sentenced in infant son's death, Zachary Koehn asks for new trial in baby's death, GUILTY: Jury convicts Zachary Koehn in baby's neglect death, Zachary Koehn tells his side in death of baby Sterling, Koehn murder trial: Defense begins case in baby's death, Koehn murder trial: Warning signs started as early as slain baby's birth, Transcript of the 911 call on Baby Sterling Koehn's death, Prosecutor: Infant died of diaper rash (Warning: graphic content). Sterling's parents Zachary Koehn, 28, and Cheyanne Harris, 20 were charged Oct. 25 with first-degree murder and child endangerment. On cross-examination by defense attorney Steven Drahozal, Schroeder said there may have been earlier warnings of the drug use. Koehn was offered health insurance but declined, the owner said. "He was cold to the touch," Assistant Iowa Attorney General Coleman McAllister said Wednesday as part of opening statements in the trial of the boy's mother,Cheyanne Harris. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Chief Deputy Reed Palo described finding maggots and larva in the baby's clothing during the autopsy. Sep 13, 2017 @ 14:10PM. Simpson was acquitted at trial, but he is still believed by many to be guilty. media-tech companies with hubs around the world. Sometimes people like that, they might jump her in the bathroom.Harris son Sterling Koehn was found lifeless and bleeding from his mouth on August 30, 2017, at an apartment in Alta Vista, Chickasaw County. NEW HAMPTON Attorneys for a former Alta Vista mother are asking the court to overturn her conviction on murder charges in the death of her 4. Cheyanne Harris is charged with murder in the death of her 4-month-old son, whose maggot-infested body was found in a baby swing in the family's home. The photos show his wife . You have permission to edit this collection. Her attorney says it's not murder. A lot of crying being done and feeling sorry, said Fran Boehmer, who works at the public library. 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 . She told him Sterling was dead. 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. You wouldnt be filming her. In response, Harris said herself sarcastically: Oh yeah, this is gonna be fun.. }) That, along with dehydration and malnutrition, caused his death. Harris public defender, Nichole Watt, fought the murder charges during trial and instead, said Harris should be found guilty only of child endangerment. The night before that, he worked too, and before going into work he played with Sterling in his room in the swing, Koehn told Turbett. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! He said he never had any clue they had a young baby living in the home. Koehns trial began Monday at the Henry County Courthouse in Mount Pleasant on a change of venue. 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. GUILTY: Cheyanne Harris is facing a mandatory life sentence after a jury found her guilty of first-degree murder and child endangerment causing death in the death of her 4-month-old son Sterling Koehn. Cheyanne Harris, 21,was convicted offirst-degree murderand child endangerment resulting in death after her son, Sterling Koehn, diedof malnutrition, dehydration and infection. 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. The flieshatched eggs which turned into maggotsthat crept all over the babys skin. MOUNT PLEASANT Shortly after a Sterling Koehn was born in a bathtub, a red flag went up that he might be at risk. The monster, in this case, is mental health, Nichole Watt said. Police said they found everything needed to care for the child, including new diapers and baby ointment to treat the rash, inside the home, The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports. A medical examiner said the baby had already been dead at least half a day to a day before anyone called for help. ga('create', 'UA-67136960-15', 'auto', 'ads'); Recommended Photo Galleries. Child killers are considered the lowest of the low, but shes going to have to find a way to cope, the presenter added.According to reports, Harris was being sent back into the general population after she spent time alone following a fight with a woman who taunted her for her crimes. I grew up in a big city and you see this, but in a small town it hurts more. The hot room he was in attracted flies, which laid eggs that hatched into maggots while Sterling was alive; they crawled in his clothes and his diaper for days,prosecutors said. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. Jan 26, 2019 See more ideas about serial killers, crime scene, crime scene photos.. . T. Armstrong, Det. Cheyanne Harris,. The owner said he hired Koehn in mid May 2017 with a $45,000 salary, and he got his first paycheck on June 2, 2017. Koehn is said to have made $45,000 a year and had access to health insurance but witnesses told the court the apartment smelt of urine, feces and decay. Further, since the baby wasnt fed or given anything to drink, he died from infection, dehydration, and malnutrition, per court documents. In mid-July 2017 he was starting to smile, and she snapped a photo of him. Warning: Disturbing images: Crime scene video from home where 13-month-old starved to death PalmBeachPost 33.8K subscribers Subscribe 1.7M views 5 years ago Excerpts from PBSO video showing the. Forensic entomologist Timothy Huntington said maggots developing in Sterling's clothing indicated his diaper had been on for nine to 13 days. After an ambulance took him to a hospital, a test on his umbilical cord was positive for methamphetamine. Then, see some truly haunting murder scenes from the streets of old New York. a crime scene with a fallen chair and a blood spot in an abandoned room - bloody crime scene photos stock pictures, royalty-free photos & images View of the body of an unidentified homicide victim under a bloody sheet on the beach in Lands End Park, San Francisco, California, August 1973. It will be a miracle for you to get out of jail., July 21:Man says he killed stepdaughter because 'it wasn't dinner time' August 2016:Detroit mother ran over, killed her 10-month-old. 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. The photo is one. I was tearing up in there, and I saw nothing from her.. NEW HAMPTON A district court judge said he is considering moving the trial for the father of an infant who was found dead in an Alta Vista a, NEW HAMPTON The mother of a baby who was found dead in an Alta Vista apartment in August has indicated she may use a diminished responsibili. She told the agent of Sterling: "I should have checked on him more," the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reported. Charges were dismissed when he agreed to make restitution to the city. : 003331-01G-2018 Case Description: Devlin Beauchamp death investigation. "But mainly we felt we needed to do something for this baby.". was found guilty of those charges in November. "She failed little Sterling,"McAllister said. They have an 11-month-old child and knew the couple also had a baby but never saw the child nor the father. NEW HAMPTON A former Alta Vista man who was convicted in the neglect death of his infant son is asking for a new trial. She was arrested in August 2017 after medics found 4-month-old Sterling Koehn dead in the swing in a dark, sweltering bedroom. The emergency medical technician was at homewhen she receivedthe call of an infant in distress in Alta Vista, a small city in northeast Iowa. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, Photo: Harris has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and child endangerment resulting in death. Zachary Koehn, right, talks with defense attorney Steven Drahozal during a pretrial conference in Chickasaw County District Court in New Hampton on Tuesday. Cheyanne Harris of Alta Vista, Iowa will face life in prison without the possibility of parole after her infant was discovered to have died from malnutrition, dehydration, and infection. Published: Nov. 03, 2016, 7:30 p.m. By. He was also sentenced to spend the rest of his life behind bars, without the possibility of parole. Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. MOUNT PLEASANT Shortly after a Sterling Koehn was born in a bathtub, a red flag went up that he might be at risk. Zachary Paul Koehn, center, prepares to exit the courtroom following a pretrial hearing on Tuesday. Join Nancy Grace for her new online video series designed to help you protect what you love most your children. hitType: 'event', A Look Back at the Crime Scene Photos That Changed How Murder is Documented. Harris, who reported last using meth weeks before the death, had postpartum depression and was expected to use intoxication or diminished responsibility as a defense.
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