He was also sentenced to spend the rest of his life behind bars, without the possibility of parole. In charging documents, a deputy wrote that the case facts "go far beyond neglect.". She said she didnt take any pictures because she didnt know it would be the last time she saw him. As he was dying, left alone in a hot room in a baby swing, insects lay eggs on his body that turned into maggots, according to the Des Moines Register. The family moved to Alta Vista sometime after Sterlings birth, Danny Koehn said. ga('ads.send', { The news Iowa depends upon. Zachary Koehn, 29, is handcuffed after he was found guilty of murder and child endangerment Tuesday. Koehn murder trial: Warning signs started as early as slain baby's birth (PHOTOS). The new doc saw 33-year-old Stacey visit a controversial women's prison in Iowa, which seeks to . 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. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), 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 . if(document.querySelector("#ads")){ "She failed little Sterling,"McAllister said. Published: Nov. 03, 2016, 7:30 p.m. By. Koehn told her he thought Sterling had died of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. 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. As investigators descended upon the apartment, one of them picked up a camera and photographed the scene. NEW HAMPTON Trial for an Alta Vista man charged in the death of his infant son will be moved to Henry County. She became overwhelmed in court by evidence photos of her deceased 4-month-old son. He told the agent Cheyanne Harris then woke him around 12:40 p.m., crying and hysterical. (Photo: Chickasaw County Sheriff's Office). 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. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. NEW HAMPTON Trial has been delayed for an Alta Vista man charged in the death of his infant son, who died of neglect. 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. and Koehn had misplaced a little black bag with meth and a scale, Clark said. On Aug. 29, the run started at 5:54 p.m., and he returned to Charles City at 2:36 a.m. Aug. 30. Initially, the boy's father, Zachary Koehn, claimed his son died from sudden infant death syndrome. Clark said he, Koehn and Cheyanne Harris smoked meth, and Koehn bought $20 to $40 worth of meth from him on a weekly basis. },false) Forensic entomologist Timothy Huntington said maggots developing in Sterling's clothing indicated his diaper had been on for nine to 13 days. The boy's mother, Cheyanne Harris, is also charged and faces a separate trial at a later date. Being a father myself, there is no (expletive) way to explain it.. A jury on Wednesdayfound a northeast Iowamotherguiltyof murder in the death of her infant son, whose body was found in a maggot-infested diaper. In charging documents, a deputy said the case facts "go far beyond neglect. 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. One of the inmates can be heard shouting to the camera crew: Did she tell you what she did? 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. 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. Koehn, is charged with murder and child endangerment. https://t.co/ADxHNRGWA5. Charges were dismissed when he agreed to make restitution to the city. }); Danny Koehn, Zachary Koehn's brother, testifies during trial on Nov. 1, 2018. eventAction: 'load' ga('ads.send', { Koehn's attorney had said the baby's death was a tragedy, but not a crime. 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. 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. After seeing these colorized vintage crime scene photos, take a look at colorized photos that bring century-old New York to life. window.googletag.pubads().addEventListener('impressionViewable', function(event) { Zachary Koehn, center, shakes hands with defense attorney Les Blair III, right, following sentencing. That, along with dehydration and malnutrition, caused his death. Judge Richard Stochl during a pretrial conference for Zachary Koehn on Tuesday. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports 21-year-old Cheyanne Harris caused a break in her trial Wednesday at the Plymouth County Courthouse in Le Mars. He said the child was grabbing his fingers. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Agent John Turbett with the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation interviewed Zachary Koehn following Sterling Koehns death. Department of Human Services worker Sheila Schroeder testifies Wednesday at the Zachary Koehn murder trial. MEAWW is an initialism for Media Entertainment Arts WorldWide. A Look Back at the Crime Scene Photos That Changed How Murder is Documented. The OJ Simpson trial may have eclipsed the crime scene itself, but the photos of Nicole Brown are not for the faint of heart. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! ga('ads.send', { A forensic entomologist said Sterling had been in his swing for nine to 14 days in the same diaper and said he had 'not had a diaper change, bath, or been removed from the seat in over a week'. Again, both Leno and Rosemary's fatal wounds were committed by Watson. ga('ads.send', { 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 Sterlings father, 29-year-old Zachary Koehn, formerly of Alta Vista. Zachary Paul Koehn, center, prepares to exit the courtroom following a pretrial hearing on Tuesday. Jurors were shown photos of tragic four-month-old Sterling Koehn at his mum Cheyanne Harris' trial. I was terrified I'd be one of them. Both were in treatment for substance abuse. Koehn told a 911 dispatcher that Sterling died from sudden infant death syndrome, but an autopsy proved otherwise. Harris let out a cry when prosecutors presented the photos during trial, according to the Des Moines Register. ZachKoehn got a job driving trucks and told his brother that he frequently was gone for days at a time. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). Clark, who worked for another trucking company hauling chickens, told jurors he knew Koehn had a daughter because he talked about her. 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. 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. Harris suffered frompostpartum depression and self-medicated, but she had no desire to harm her son, she said. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Prosecutors said money and health insurance should not have been an issue for the parents. They may be irritable, she said. MOUNT PLEASANT -- A former Alta Vista man has been found guilty in the 2017 neglect death of his infant son. He didnt hear a baby and no one went to check on a baby while he was there, he said. Zachary Koehn, center, stands with his attorneys as the verdict was read Tuesday in the Henry County Courthouse in Mount Pleasant. At trial,Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation Agent Chris Callaway testified Harris questioned her maternal care during an interview. Prosecutor Coleman McAllister said: 'Evidence in this case will show Sterling suffered in the last hours and days before his death.'. hitType: 'event', Sep 13, 2017 @ 14:10PM. Prosecutor Coleman McAllister delivers openings on Tuesday. Koehn apparently made $45,000 a year as a truck driver and had access to health insurance coverage for his family. Zachary Koehn averts his eyes as photos are displayed of his son's autopsy during trial on Thursday. eventAction: 'view' The state medical examiner determined the boy's death was a homicide; his cause of death was listed as failure to provide critical care. 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. "He died of diaper rash. A lot of people are asking how someone could do something like that to a baby, employee Debbie Crooks said. 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. The owner of the trucking company for which Koehn worked testified by video because of scheduling conflict. Below are the police investigation photos of the horrible offense that went down at the Tate and LaBianca Residences at the hands of the wacked-out Manson family on August 8 and 9, 1969. 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. was found guilty of those charges in November. Department of Human Services worker Sheila Schroeder testifies Wednesday at the Zachary Koehn murder trial. Would methamphetamine in an umbilical cord qualify as child abuse that should be reported? Drahozal asked. According to the prosecutor, the baby, Sterling Koehn, was left in a soiled diaper for anywhere from 9 to 14 days. 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. Zachary Koehn and Cheyanne Harris of. 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. Published on March 16, 2022 06:58 PM. "He died of diaper rash. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Diagram of the section of Alex Murdaugh's property where his wife, Maggie, and his son, Paul, were murdered. He was also shot in the wrist. Cheyanne Harris,. Authorities said the babys feces inside his diaper seeped through his skin, causing an E. coli bacteria build-up in his bloodstream. Chief Deputy Reed Palo described finding maggots and larva in the baby's clothing during the autopsy. The couple's other two-year-old daughter appeared healthy. }); "The monster, in this case, is mental health," Nichole Watt said. 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. Harris cried in courtafter prosecutors showed the jury crime scene photographs. State prosecutor Creighton Waters, describing what he said was the scene when Paul and Maggie Murdaugh were fatally shot, said Maggie Murdaugh saw what happened to Paul and came "running to her . 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. MEAWW brings you the best content from its global team of She told him Sterling was dead. #CheyanneHarris - Harris's reaction when judge read the verdict of guilty of murder in the first degree. That's right, diaper rash," McAllister said. },false) Koehn's trial was moved from Chickasaw County to Henry County to counter pretrial publicity. "Hed call and say the baby wasnt changed for a week when he wasnt home. Michael OHara, a psychology professor, said it appeared Cheyanne Harris suffered from depression. MOUNT PLEASANT Jurors heard from Zachary Paul Koehns relatives Thursday afternoon as his attorneys began presenting evidence to defend agai. Their son, Sterling Daniel Koehn, was found dead Aug. 30. At the beginning of the trial,a public defender representingHarris said while Sterling's death is a tragedy, it was not a plannedmurder. Harris' trial was moved from Chickasaw County to Plymouth County because of pretrial publicity. Her attorney says it's not murder. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, "And she knew then that there was nothing she could do to save Sterling.". 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. According to the owner, Koehn had Aug. 26, 2017, off but worked Aug. 27, 28 and 29. Agent John Turbett with the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation interviewed Zachary Koehn following Sterling Koehns death. An autopsy showed the infant was underweight at 7lbs. Jordan Clark told jurors he had been Zachary Koehns apartment in 2017 but didnt know he had a baby. He told me, I think the public realizes Im not as bad a person as they think,' " Danny Koehn said. . The resulting diaper rash led to ruptured skin, and e.Coli bacteria set in. 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. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. You wouldnt be filming her. In response, Harris said herself sarcastically: Oh yeah, this is gonna be fun.. Schoeder said methamphetamine use is a hazard because it can lead to bad parenting decisions. The couple's daughter Sterling Skye, 1, was one . Enjoying the clean life, ZachKoehn posted Oct. 3 ona social media account listed in his name. 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. Jordan Clark, a former friend of Koehn's, had testified that he wasn't even aware the man had a baby. He is charged with murder in the death of his infant son in August 2017. Cheyanne Harris, 21,was convicted offirst-degree murderand child endangerment resulting in death after her son, Sterling Koehn, diedof malnutrition, dehydration and infection. 2023 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. 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. 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. 6th grade student arrested on weapon charge; BB gun found in backpack. One of the first famous crime scene photos was taken on May 5, 1903, in the home of a Parisian woman named Madame Debeinche who had been murdered. Further, since the baby wasnt fed or given anything to drink, he died from infection, dehydration, and malnutrition, per court documents.