CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – The bench trial for the Marion father who killed his five-year-old son started Tuesday – with Matthew Schleier’s attorney using an insanity defense.
Schleier’s wife testified that they tried to get her husband hospitalized for suicidal ideation leading up to the death of their son.
Schleier admitted to planning his son’s death before strangling him in the morning hours of October 29, 2024.
He is charged with first-degree murder.
According to the criminal complaint, the Marion Police Department was called to a home in the 4100 block of Willowbrook Drive at 5:57 a.m. October 29, 2024, for a report of a 5-year-old boy who was not breathing.
On body camera footage shown Tuesday afternoon in court, paramedics were shown trying to save the boy at the scene. Medical personnel transported him to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
A police officer testified that bruising to the child’s neck, shown on evidence photos during court, were consistent with strangulation.
The mother told authorities at the scene that her husband was responsible. Media was not allowed to record her testimony.
She testified Unity Point Health – St. Luke’s Hospital in Cedar Rapids wouldn’t admit her husband in the weeks before the death of her son since he didn’t have a specific plan for suicide.
Schleier did go to the GuideLink Mental Health Center in Iowa City for five days right before he strangled his son.
The state asked her who killed their son and she said “Matthew… but it was a shell of him…” The state asked the judge to strike the second portion of her response.
Marion police officers who responded to the scene also gave testimony about responding to the scene.
“That’s when the mother was like, ‘the dad strangled him’ … I turned towards him and I got a subtle nod from him,” said officer Kaleb Healey. “My job now goes from assisting with medical to now being scene security and so I asked him to step into the kitchen.“
The state also showed a video of Marion investigators interviewing Schleier after his son’s death.
He appeared calm in the video, explaining that he hadn’t able to sleep, was seeing multiple doctors for his anxiety and depression and working with his medical team to try different prescription medicines to manage his health.
Schleier is shown in the video saying he frequently felt extreme stress about his family’s safety and the management of his children’s extreme food allergies. He barely slept the night before strangling his son.
“My anxiety was telling me, for like, him to be safe, for me to be safe, for all of us to be safe… it’s just unpredictable and he would be better off not being here,” said Schleier in the video interview.
“It sounds like you may have strangled him, is that the case?” asked the investigator.
“That is the case, yes, yeah,” said Schleier.
“Do you know about how long for?” asked the investigator.
“I don’t know how long, as long as it took to have him expire,” said Schleier.
Officers said Schleier was quiet and compliant during his arrest.
In body camera footage, an officer and Schleier’s wife are shown walking into the guest bedroom, where two large knives are laying on the bed. Schleier told investigators he debated using them when he felt panicked during the night.
The trial was supposed to start in October 2025, but the defense asked for more time.
Since the trial is a bench trial, the judge will decide the verdict. The trial is expected to take four days – lasting until Friday.
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