LeClaire daycare provider facing murder charge in Feb. 2020 infant death

LeCLAIRE, Iowa (KWQC) - A LeClaire daycare provider was arrested and charged Thursday in the death of a 5-month-old baby in 2020.

According to the LeClaire Police Dept., on Feb. 5, 2020 officers arrived to an in-home daycare on Frontier Court for an “infant in distress”.

According to the press release, the 5 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, according to the press release, doctors discovered she had a fractured skull as well as a brain bleed.

The infant passed away four days later, on Sunday, Feb. 9, 2020, at University of Iowa Hospital and Clinics, according to police.

According to the press release, Angela 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.

According to LeClaire Police, 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 Angela R. Marxen, 56, of Davenport, for the following charges:

Murder in the First Degree (Class A Felony); Child Endangerment Resulting in Death (Class B Felony); Child Endangerment (Aggravated Misdemeanor)

According to police, Marxen was arrested on Thursday and transported to the Scott County Jail, where she is currently being held on no bond.

The LeClaire Police Department and Iowa DCI were assisted by the Scott County Attorney’s Office, Scott County Sheriff’s Office, Medic EMS, and the LeClaire Fire Dept.

An arrest without disposition is not an indication of guilt.

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