An Iowa dad is charged with murder after allegedly telling police he plotted for several days before strangling his toddler son last month.
Jack Matthew Schleier, 5, died on October 29, according to his obituary.
His father, 45-year-old Matthew Schleier, was arrested on a first-degree murder allegation, according to court documents and his initial court appearance.
Marion Police responded to allegations of an unconscious kid in a Marion, Iowa, house around 6 a.m. on Oct. 29, according to police reports and a criminal complaint quoted by KCRG, The Gazette, and KWWL.
According to the complaint, Jack’s mother told responders that the victim had been strangled by his father.
The youngster died after being taken to the hospital. According to the complaint, medical staff discovered marks on his neck that were compatible with evidence of strangling.
According to the complaint, Mathew allegedly confessed to killing Jack and revealed unsettling information about his plans during a police interview.
He allegedly indicated he considered using a knife on the child. According to KCRG, police discovered knives in the home, which they believe are indications that the killing was premeditated.
According to the complaint, Mathew allegedly stated that he had been planning how to kill the child for a week and that on the night of the killing, he spent the majority of the night thinking about it.
It was unclear whether the infant was asleep during the killing. Police have not provided a motive.
Mathew is being jailed on a $1 million cash-only bail, according to KCRG, The Gazette, and KWWL. His preliminary hearing is set up this week. It was not immediately known whether he had hired an attorney.
A GoFundMe page has been set up for the child’s family.