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Trial will be reset for Marion father accused of killing his 5-year-old son
No new trial date yet for Matthew Schleier
Jul. 11, 2025 3:17 pm, Updated: Jul. 14, 2025 4:28 pm
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CEDAR RAPIDS — The trial of a Marion man, who is charged with strangling his 5-year-old son in 2024, will be reset because an independent psychological evaluation is being performed in August and expert witnesses will have to be rescheduled.
Matthew Gerald Schleier, 46, plans to claim insanity at his first-degree murder trial, so the prosecution has an independent evaluation set for Aug. 15 and needs more time to prepare. The trial previously was set for Sept. 3 in Linn County District Court.
Sixth Judicial District Judge David Cox, during a hearing Friday, said he would get together with the defense and prosecution at a later time to discuss possible dates.
Schleier told Marion investigators he had thoughts for a week leading up to Oct. 29, 2024, of killing his preschooler, according to a criminal complaint. That night, he had been up “trying to decide” if and how to kill the child.
He had thought about using knives, which police said they found in his bedroom as they collected evidence on a search warrant at the home in the 4100 block of Willowbrook Drive in Marion.
The evidence of knives indicated Schleier was “premeditating” his actions, the complaint said.
Police received a 911 call at 5:57 a.m. Oct. 29 for an unresponsive 5-year-old “who wasn’t breathing and was warm to the touch,” according to a criminal complaint. Marion Fire Department medics started lifesaving measures and then police assisted.
The paramedics asked the child’s mother, Victoria Schleier, a kindergarten teacher at St. Joseph Catholic School in Marion, how she found her son, Jack. The mother said, “His dad strangled him,” the complaint stated.
An officer asked Matthew Schleier if his wife was correct, and he confirmed that he strangled Jack, the complaint stated.
Police, in a news release, said at the time of the killing that two other adults and an additional child were present. None of them were physically harmed.
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