Photo: Iowa Attorney General’s Office; AP/REX/Shutterstock
An Iowa father whoseson died after being left in a motorized swingfor more than a week was sentenced to life in prison Tuesday, according to multiple reports.
He had been wearingthe same diaper and had been left in the swing for nine to 14 days, according to theWaterloo-Cedar Falls Courier. He weighed just under 7 pounds when he died.
Sterling’s mother, Cheyanne Harris, 21, has also been charged with first-degree murder and pleaded not guilty, according to the complaint.
The final days of Sterlings life were painful, prosecutors said. He was kept in a bedroom that had its windows covered and its door closed. The room was hot, which attracted flies, and as he sat in the swing, his diaper ate through his skin, causing the skin to rupture. E. coli bacteria eventually set in, entering his bloodstream and causing infection, theCourierreports.
Jeff Reinitz/The Courier/AP
• Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Clickhereto get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter.
Prosecutors noted that while Sterling suffered, Koehn and Harris cared for a healthy 2-year-old daughter in the same apartment, the paper reports.
“He was aware of what was going on and he chose to do nothing,” said Assistant Iowa Attorney General Denise Timmins.
Sterling eventually died of dehydration, malnutrition and infection, according to theRegister.
“He died of diaper rash.That’s right, diaper rash,” Assistant Iowa Attorney General Coleman McAllister said during opening statements for Koehn’s trial, according to the Associated Press.
Koehn’s attorneys argued that while Sterling’s death was tragic, Koehn’s actions did not justify a murder charge, theRegisterreports.
PEOPLE was unable to immediately reach Koehn’s attorneys on Wednesday and it is unclear if he plans to appeal his conviction or sentence.
Harris will go to trial in January, theRegisterreports. Sheplans to use intoxicationas a defense, theRegisterreports.
PEOPLE was unable to immediately reach Harris’ attorney for comment.
source: people.com
