NEW HAMPTON — The father of a Northern Iowa baby has been sent to prison for life after brutal neglect that caused the boy’s death.
On August 30, 2017, at about 1 PM, the Chickasaw county sheriff’s office and emergency responders went to apartments on Hilltop Avenue in Alta Vista, following a 911 call reporting a child under 4 months old was found unresponsive. Responders found the child deceased in his infant swing. He died of severe neglect after being left in a child swing for numerous days, unattended.
The parents were identified as 29-year-old Zachary Paul Koehn and 21-year-old Cheyanne Renae Harris; they were also the primary caregivers.
An investigation was launched by the sheriff’s office with the assistance of the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI).
On October 25, 2017, arrest warrants were issued for Koehn and Harris. Multiple law enforcement agencies assisted in located and arresting the pair, including the Charles City police department and the Mitchell county sheriff’s office, among others. Koehn and Harris are being held on $100,000 bond each on charges of murder in the first degree and child endangerment causing death.
After his recent conviction on a charge of first-degree murder, Zachary Koehn was sentenced Tuesday to life in prison with no chance of parole.
The boy’s mother, Harris, faces charges of first-degree murder and child endangerment causing death. After a not-guilty plea, her trial is scheduled for next month.