MARION, Iowa – A 45-year-old father, Matthew Schleier, was arrested this week for allegedly strangling his 5-year-old son, Jack, to death after spending a week planning how to kill him. On October 29, just before 6 a.m., Marion Police responded to a call about a boy who was unresponsive and warm to the touch. Paramedics transported the child to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The boy’s mother told police that “His dad strangled him.” When questioned, Schleier reportedly confessed to killing his son. According to reports, he had been contemplating different ways to kill the child for about a week, initially considering using knives, which were later found in his home and collected as evidence.
Schleier is currently in custody at the Linn County Jail facing a charge of first-degree murder. A judge set his bond at $1 million.
