(Radio Iowa via KCRG-TV) – A judge today (Monday) issued his ruling in the murder trial of Matthew Schleier of Marion, who was accused of strangling his five-year-old son Jack to death. K-C-R-G T-V carried the verdict as Judge David Cox said he reviewed the testimony of three experts from the defense who said Schleier didn’t know what he was doing, and one from the prosecution who said he did.
“And so considering all of that, the court ultimately weighed the evidence and finds the defendant not guilty by reason of insanity,” he said. Judge Cox told Schleier he will not be immediately released into the community. “You’re going to be committed to the Cherokee Mental Health Institute for further evaluation.
Judge Cox told Schleier he will undergo an evaluation and there will be another hearing to decide whether if he should be released into the community. Schleier is charged with first-degree murder in Jack’s death at their home in Marion in late October of 2024.
Linn County Attorney Nick Maybanks issued a statement saying the investigation showed that this was a pre-meditated act and that is why Schleier was charged with first-degree murder. He goes on to say:
“The judge has found Mr. Schleier not guilty by reason of insanity. In our system of justice, that is the role of a judge in a case tried to the court, to make a determination of guilt or acquittal. Although we respectfully disagree, we must accept the judge’s ruling.”
