(LeClaire, IA) -- A LeClaire daycare provider faces murder charges in the February 2020 death of a five month old baby.
On Thursday, 56 year old Angela Marxen was arrested in connection to the baby's death. The LeClaire Police Department says on Feb. 5, 2020, officers arrived to an in-home daycare on Frontier Court for an “infant in distress”. According to a press release, the five month old appeared to be unresponsive with labored breathing and was transported to a local hospital where her condition continued to worse. She was then airlifted to Stead Family Children’s Hospital in Iowa City, where investigators say doctors discovered she had a fractured skull as well as a brain breed.
The infant died four days later, on Sunday, February 9, 2020, at University of Iowa Hospital and Clinics.
Police say Marxen was the homeowner and sole daycare provider for the home and was responsible for the infant’s care at the time of the incident. Investigators say an autopsy was performed by a forensic pathologist and the autopsy report states the infant’s official cause of death was from blunt force injuries of the head.
Due to the severity of the injuries, the LeClaire Police Department and Iowa Department of Criminal Investigations began a 14-month long criminal investigation. According to the press release, the investigation determined the injuries that caused the infant’s death were non-accidental. As a result, a warrant was issued for Marxen for the following charges:
- Murder in the First Degree (Class A Felony)
- Child Endangerment Resulting in Death (Class B Felony)
- Child Endangerment (Aggravated Misdemeanor)
Marxen is being held at the Scott County Jail, where she is currently being held on no bond.
(Photo by KWQC)