Iowa parents arrested after son's corpse is found on swing

Criminal complaint cites 'extreme indifference to human life'

An Iowa couple has been charged with murder after authorities found their child’s maggot-infested body in a swing.

According to a criminal complaint filed in Chickasaw County District Court, officers arrived at the home of Zachary Koehn and Cheyanne Harris to find the couple’s four-month-old son dead in a swing seat.

An autopsy later suggested the child - called Sterling - was undernourished, falling below the 5th percentile in height and weight, and found the infant’s body “to have maggots in various stages of development in his clothing and on his skin”, the complaint says.

The medical examiner ruled the child's death as a homicide caused by a "failure to provide critical care."

“The study of the maggots growth and development indicated that the child had not had a diaper change, bath, or been removed from the seat in over a week”, the sheriff’s deputy who filed the report wrote.

Baby Sterling, in a picture posted on his mother's Facebook page

The deputy also wrote: “The facts of this case go far beyond neglect and show circumstances manifesting an extreme indifference to human life”.

In his call to the sheriff's office Mr Koehn said Ms Harris found the baby dead around two hours after she fed the child and found him to be “fine”. The couple was arrested on charges of first-degree murder and child endangerment.

If convicted, the two could face life in prison.

The couple could face life in prison if convicted

According to court documents, the couple has an older child who lives in the house.

Harris' Facebook account features pictures of both her and Koehn, as well as their two children. She called herself a "full-time mom" on her profile and also posted the words "mommy forever".