The appeal of a woman convicted of murdering her 4 month old son in an Alta Vista apartment has been denied by the Iowa Court of Appeals. 23 year old Cheyanne Harris was convicted of first degree murder and child endangerment causing death and sentenced to life in prison in 2019. Her son, Sterling, was found in a maggot infested diaper in a swing seat in a back bedroom of the apartment in August of 2017. The boy died of dehydration, malnutrition and infection from untreated diaper rash. Experts testified that, judging by the larva growing in his diaper, Sterling’s diaper had not been changed in over a week. Harris argued her trial lawyers should have used a diminished responsibility or intoxication defense. The child’s father, Zachary Koehn was also found guilty of murder and child endangerment and had his appeal dismissed in November.
