Chickasaw County, Iowa – According to court documents, a baby who died at four months old was less than seven pounds and hadn’t had a diaper change in more than a week.
The Chickasaw County Sheriff’s Office said Wednesday that Cheyanne Harris and Zachary Koehn were charged with first-degree murder in the death of their four-month old son.
The baby was found deceased in his infant swing Aug. 30 in the apartments on Hilltop Ave. in Alta Vista.
The criminal complaint states the body was found to have maggots in various stages of development in the baby’s clothing and on his skin.
The study of the maggots’ growth indicated the child hadn’t had a diaper change, bath or been removed from the swing in over a week.
The investigation indicated the parents’ account of the death was inconsistent with the findings of the autopsy and investigation.
“The cause of death was a failure to provide critical care,” the complaint states. “The facts of this case go far beyond neglect and show circumstances manifesting an extreme indifference to human life.”
Koehn and Harris are behind held on $100,000 cash bond on charges of first-degree murder and child endangerment causing death.
The complaint states both Koehn and Harris claimed to have checked on the baby the day before he died.