[LINN COUNTY, Iowa] — Testimony continued in a Linn County courtroom in the trial of a Marion father accused of murdering his five-year-old son.
Matthew Schleier is facing charges after allegedly strangling his son in 2024. His defense team argues that Schleier’s depressive and anxiety disorders led to delusional beliefs about his son’s safety, claiming insanity as a defense.
The prosecution, however, maintains that the child’s death was premeditated. They argue that Schleier knowingly strangled his son and had contemplated it for weeks.
A forensic psychologist testified about Schleier’s mental state at the time of the incident.
“It is indicative of someone not trying to hide their behavior or flee. There are ways he could’ve killed Jack and attempted to cover it up or to try and indicate he wasn’t involved, he didn’t do that,” Tracy Thomas, a forensic psychologist, said. “That often leads to somebody who doesn’t have the ability to distinguish between right and wrong.”
This is a bench trial, meaning there is no jury, and a judge will determine Schleier’s guilt. Closing arguments will be submitted in writing and are due next month. The judge will deliver a decision following the submission of these arguments.