Police said the baby hadn't been removed from his swing in a week.
Two Iowa parents were charged with murder Wednesday after their 4-month-old son was found dead and infested with maggots inside their apartment over the summer.
Police responded to the Riceville home of Cheyanne Harris, 20, and Zachary Koehn, 28, on August 30 after Koehn told police his infant son, Sterling, was unresponsive.
The dad told authorities that Harris had fed Sterling just a few hours before, police said.
When medics arrived, they found the 4-month-old dead and sitting in a power swing, reports said.
Investigators discovered maggots in various stages on the child’s body and clothing, police said.
Police said the 4-month-old had not had a diaper change or bath in more than a week and it appeared he’d not been removed from the power swing, police said.
He weighed less than seven pounds, investigators discovered.
“The facts of this case go far beyond neglect and show circumstances manifesting an extreme indifference to human life,” the criminal complaint said.
The state medical examiner ruled the death a homicide, with the cause of death "a failure to provide critical care," according to reports.
Harris and Koehn were charged with first-degree murder and child endangerment resulting in death.
Koehn and Harris are being held on $100,000 cash-only bond, according to the Chickasaw County Sheriff's Office.
