Dad spent all night ‘trying to decide’ how to kill his 5-year-old son, Iowa cops say

A father accused of killing his 5-year-old son told Iowa authorities he had thought about harming his child for a week, according to police and news reports.

Police in Marion were dispatched to a home Tuesday, Oct. 29, for a report of an unresponsive child, according to KWWL. The boy was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead, the news outlet reported, citing police.

“His dad strangled him,” the boy’s mother told paramedics, according to a criminal complaint obtained by KCRG.

The father, 45-year-old Matthew Schleier, told officers he was responsible for his son’s death, KWWL reported.

It was an act he thought about for a week, according to the complaint also obtained by The Gazette. Schleier said he spent most of the night “trying to decide” if and how to kill his son, the publication reported.

Schleier said he had considered using knives to harm his son, police said, according to KCRG. He did not provide a motive in the killing.

Court records show Schleier is charged with first-degree murder. He remains in the Linn County jail as of Oct. 30.

The boy who died was a kindergarten student at St. Joseph Catholic School and was known for his “joyful spirit,” school officials said in a letter to parents, according to The Gazette. The boy’s mom is a kindergarten teacher at the school, The Gazette said, citing the letter.

Marion is a northeast suburb of Cedar Rapids.

This story was originally published October 30, 2024 at 3:06 PM with the headline "Dad spent all night ‘trying to decide’ how to kill his 5-year-old son, Iowa cops say."