CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – A Cedar Rapids judge found Matthew Schleier not guilty in the killing of his 5-year-old son by reason of insanity. He will be admitted to a mental health institute for treatment. Schleier was charged with first-degree murder in the strangling death of his 5-year-old son, Jack, at their home in Marion in late October of 2024. Prosecutors argue that Schleier wanted peace and relief from the stress caused by son’s food allergies, motivating him to kill his son. Prosecutors also said Schleier had considered killing his children for weeks. He weighed using knives before choosing to strangle his son, which prosecutors said he determined was more humane and quieter. Schleier’s lawyers argue Schleier was suffering from psychosis when he strangled his son, citing testimony from doctors.
IOWA CITY, Iowa (KCRG) – An Iowa City woman was arrested Sunday who later told police that she lit a couch on fire to “make a crime scene.” Cara Hanson, 20, was arrested on a charge of first-degree arson. The fire was reported around 4:51 a.m. on Sunday by a resident on the second floor of the 800 block of South Lucas Street. He told authorities that he woke up from fire alarms and wasn’t sure if anyone was home downstairs. Police say firefighters were actively putting out the fire when Hanson walked up to the ground floor home. Hanson, the tenant of the first-floor home, gave what police said were vague and conflicting statements about how the fire started. The fire department told her the fire looked like it began on the couch. Police interviewed Hanson at the station, where she told officers that she started the fire on the couch with a lighter. According to police, Hanson “expressed displeasure with a recent crime scene” and told officers “I’m going to make a crime scene.” She noted the second-story tenant by name. After the fire began, Hanson said she left her home and walked around the block before coming back to the home. The Johnson County call log shows that the Iowa City Police reported to the residence two times on April 21 for a welfare check and a follow-up investigation. The Iowa City Fire Marshal’s Office estimates there was $25,000 in damages. One person was displaced as a result of the fire.
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – A woman was injured while driving without a license on Sunday. At approximately 10:30 a.m., Linn County Sheriff Deputies, Linn County Rescue 57, Mount Vernon-Lisbon Police, Mount Vernon Fire and Mount Vernon-Lisbon Ambulance responded to a call regarding a vehicle accident in the 1700 block of Springville Road. Tanya Musser was driving a 2007 Pontiac Torrent when she had a medical event, lost control of the vehicle, and drove into the roadside ditch before striking landscape pillars. Musser was transported by ambulance to St. Luke’s Hospital with what are believed to be non-life threatening injuries. She was cited for no Iowa driver’s license, no insurance, and failure to maintain control.
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – The Hawkeye Downs Speedway is opening up a new league for its youth racing program. Children ages six and under are eligible to enter the “Juice Box” class for Tuesday Night Titans races. Kids will race in Go-Karts, something that Race Director Brian Gibson says will introduce a new generation to racing in a safe and fun way. Juice Box racers will have the opportunity to graduate into bigger leagues when they age out of the group. The group will launch in June. Participants must provide their own Radio Flyer Ultimate Go-Kart and register when they arrive, with rules specified online. The speedway’s season starts in May.
