This story is a heartbreaking tragedy. A man from Marion, Iowa, who worked as a vice president of his company, and whose wife was a kindergarten teacher, led a seemingly normal life until last Tuesday.
On that day, he allegedly killed his five-year-old son. The father, Matthew Schleier, is accused of strangling his son and reportedly told the police he had been up most of the night trying to decide if he wanted to kill his son and how he would do it.
Forty-five-year-old Matthew Schleier reportedly told investigators he had been contemplating the act for a week. At around 6 a.m. on Tuesday, police received a 911 call regarding an unresponsive five-year-old boy who was warm to the touch but not breathing.
Medics performed life-saving measures with police assistance. When paramedics asked the boy’s mother, Victoria, how she found her son, Jack, she stated that Jack’s father had strangled him. Victoria is a kindergarten teacher at St. Joseph’s in Marion.
Authorities then questioned Matthew, who admitted to strangling Jack. Police stated that two other adults and another child were present in the home at the time, but no one else was physically harmed.
An attorney confirmed that the initial investigation revealed Matthew strangled his son until he became unresponsive. Despite life-saving attempts, Jack tragically died.
Matthew had reportedly considered using knives, and police found knives in the home during a search. This evidence suggested that Matthew had been premeditating the act. Police had never been called to the home before, and there were no known previous issues.
On Wednesday, Matthew was charged with first-degree murder at his first court appearance in Linn County District Court, where he reportedly showed no emotion and looked straight ahead throughout the hearing. His bail was set at $1 million cash-only, and he requested a court-appointed attorney. Matthew had recently served as an executive with United Fire Group in Cedar Rapids and was promoted to Vice President of Field Operations and Agency Resources in October of last year.
Authorities have asked anyone with additional information about this case to contact the Marion Police Department immediately.
Jack, a kindergartener at St. Joseph’s, was known for his joyful spirit. No motive has yet been identified.