John Jefferson
Inset: Matthew Gerald Schleier (Linn County Sheriff’s Office). Background: The house where Schleier allegedly killed his son (Google Maps).
An Iowa father strangled his 5-year-old son to death after entertaining thoughts of killing the child for about a week prior to the violence, police in the Hawkeye State say.
Matthew Gerald Schleier, 45, stands accused of one count of murder in the first degree, according to Linn County Sheriff’s Office records.
“His dad strangled him,” the boy’s mother allegedly told first responders at the scene of the crime in the immediate aftermath.
Schleier then allegedly admitted as much when a nearby officer asked him if his wife was correct, according to law enforcement.
On Tuesday, law enforcement responded to a 911 call about an unresponsive child and arrived at the house on Willowbrook Drive in Marion — a medium-sized city and part of the broader Cedar Rapids metro area — at around 6 a.m., according to a criminal complaint obtained by Cedar Rapids-based ABC affiliate KCRG.
The caller said the boy “wasn’t breathing and was warm to the touch,” according to the complaint.
Inside the house, firefighters attempted lifesaving measures on Jack Schleier, 5. Those efforts would be for naught. Police officers then rushed the victim to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Next, came the alleged admissions of guilt.
The defendant allegedly told investigators he considered at least one other way to kill his child: by using knives. A search warrant executed at the Schleier residence turned up several such would-be murder weapons, police claim.
Those knives retrieved from the house suggest the father had a “premeditated” desire to kill his boy, according to a copy of the complaint obtained by The Gazette, a local newspaper serving the Marion area.
At the time of the murder, two other adults and one other child were inside the residence, police said. No one aside from the 5-year-old was harmed.
On Wednesday, the defendant made an initial appearance in Linn County District Court by way of a video feed. During the brief proceeding, Schleier reportedly looked straight ahead, blank and without emotion, according to a courtroom report by the paper.
“This boy left behind a grieving mother and many other close family members,” Linn County Attorney Nick Maybanks told the Gazette. “Our hearts go out to them after suffering this shocking and devastating loss. Nobody should ever have to endure the loss of a child. The pain has to be unimaginable. I would ask that their family be given privacy and respect while they deal with this tragedy.”
Details about what, exactly, led up to the child’s death on the day in question are scarce. Other than the defendant’s alleged homicidal ideation, police have not floated a motive as to why Schleier might have wanted to kill his son.
Law&Crime reached out to the Marion Police Department for additional details on this story.
The defendant is being detained in the Linn County Jail on a $1 million cash-only bond.
He is next slated to appear in court for a preliminary hearing on Nov. 8.
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