Mom and dad charged in death of 4-month-old infant found rotting in swing

Alex Lasker
Updated ·1 min read

An Iowa couple has been charged with murder after the decaying body of their 4-month-old infant was found in a baby swing inside their home, according to WHO.

Cheyanne Harris, 20, and Zachary Koehn, 28, called an ambulance to their Alta Vista apartment on Aug. 30 to report that their infant son, Sterling Koehn, had died "just a few hours" after Harris had fed the child.

First responders found the baby in a powered swing seat in a bedroom separate from where the couple and their other child slept, WHO reported.

According to a criminal complaint, maggots were found on the child’s skin and in his diaper. A forensic entomologist found that the child "had not had a diaper change, bath, or been removed from the seat in over a week."

An autopsy by the State Medical Examiner’s Office also found that the emaciated infant measured well below the fifth percentile in size and weight for his age.

"The facts of this case go far beyond neglect and show circumstances manifesting an extreme indifference to human life," Chickasaw County Sheriff's Deputy Reed Palo wrote in the complaint.

Both Harris and Koehn face charges of first-degree murder and child endangerment resulting in death. They will be arraigned on Nov. 2.