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Mother gets life in prison for death of son found wearing maggot-infested diaper in baby swing

NEW HAMPTON, Iowa (AP) – An Iowa woman whose infant son’s lifeless body was found in a baby swing has been imprisoned for life without possibility of parole.

Court records say 22-year-old Cheyanne Harris was sentenced Tuesday in New Hampton to the state-mandated penalty, and her request for a new trial was denied. A jury found her guilty Feb. 6 of first-degree murder and child endangerment causing death.

The charges stem from the death of 4-month-old Sterling Koehn, whose body was found Aug. 30, 2017, in a maggot-infested diaper at an apartment in Alta Vista. The swing was in a sweltering bedroom. 

A medical examiner found maggots in his clothing and skin that indicated he hadn’t had a diaper change, bath or been removed from the seat in over a week.

An autopsy shows he died of malnutrition, dehydration and an E. coli infection.

The baby’s father, Zachary Koehn, also has been sentenced to life in prison.

Alta Vista is about 125 miles (200 kilometers) northeast of Des Moines.