WEBSTER CITY – Authorities say this Northern Iowa man was alone with a 10-month-old infant boy and delivered “multiple blunt force injuries to the infant’s head” causing the baby to die.
Following a joint investigation by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation and the Webster City Police Department, Gunner Jones (pictured at top), 26, of Webster City, Iowa, has been charged with first degree murder in connection with the April 16, 2023, death of a 10-month-old infant.
On April 16, 2023, at approximately 1:45 AM, Webster City officers and emergency personnel responded to a 911 call reporting an unresponsive infant at a residence in Webster City. The infant was transported to Van Diest Medical Center and later transferred to Blank Children’s Hospital, where he was pronounced deceased later that morning.
The investigation and medical examinations revealed injuries consistent with child abuse, leading authorities to rule the death a homicide. Evidence gathered during the investigation led authorities to believe that Gunner Jones had access to the infant and caused the fatal injuries.
This is an ongoing investigation.
According to a police affidavit:
The Defendant, Gunner Jones, having malice aforethought, willfully, deliberately, and with premeditation, killed a 10-month-old infant identified by the initials “H.A.”
On April 16, 2023, at approximately 1:45 AM, a caller identified by the initials “M.A.” called 911 after discovering her 10-month-old infant son, H.A., suffering from an apparent medical emergency. Just prior to the call she observed H.A. as being unresponsive and turning blue and cold to the touch. Law enforcement officers and emergency personnel responded to the dispatched location in Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa. The infant was provided emergency medical care and transported to Van Diest Medical Center. At the hospital, along with the observations of the medical emergency, unusual bruising consistent with inflicted child abuse was observed on H.A. In order to provide a more advanced level of care, H.A. was transferred to Blank Children’s Hospital in Des Moines, Iowa, where he later succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead.
An autopsy was conducted at the Iowa Office of the State Medical Examiner in Ankeny, Iowa. The autopsy ruled the cause of death as multiple blunt force injuries to the infant’s head and the manner of death is listed as a Homicide.
Evidence gathered throughout the investigation leads investigating authorities to believe that the defendant, Gunner Jones, caused the injuries inflicted upon H.A. which resulted in his death. The Defendant and M.A. were identified as being alone in the residence with N.A. just prior to his time of death.
Ultimately, the Defendant and M.A. informed law enforcement that there were no apparent medical issues with N.A. when M.A. went to sleep and that the Defendant remained awake in the residence with H.A. This timeline leaves the Defendant as the only individual alone with H.A. prior to the injuries being inflicted.