Father faces murder charge in death of 5-year-old son

A father is facing a first-degree murder charge in the death of his 5-year-old child on Tuesday.

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First responders were called to the 4100 block of Willowbrook Drive in Marion at 6 a.m. Tuesday for a report of an unresponsive child, according to a news release from the Marion Police Department. The 5-year-old boy was transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

According to the release, the boy’s father, Matthew Schleier, 45, told police officers he strangled the child and that he was responsible for the boy’s death.

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Schleier was arrested and, after consultation with the Linn County Attorney and assistance from the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, he will be charged Wednesday with first-degree murder. He is being held in the Linn County Jail.

The news release reports that at the time of the “incident” in the home, two other adults and an additional child were present. None of them were physically harmed.

There is no threat to the community, the release states.

Schleier is scheduled to have an initial appearance Wednesday morning.

The case is being investigated by the Marion Police Department, Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, State Medical Examiner’s Office and the Linn County Attorney’s Office.