Gunner Jones

A Webster City man is behind bars having been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a 10-month-old infant.

Gunner Jones, 26, was arrested Tuesday by the Hamilton County Sheriff.

According to the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, officers and medical personnel responded to a 911 call of an unresponsive infant on April 16, 2023.

The infant was transported to Van Diest Medical Center and later transferred to Blank Childrens’ Hospital in Des Moines where he was pronounced dead.

The mother of the child called 911 at 1:45 a.m. after discovering her son was “unresponsive and turning blue and cold to the touch,” according to the criminal complaint filed with Hamilton County District Court.

Both Jones and the child’s mother told authorities that they were alone in the residence prior to the child’s death and the mother stated when she went to sleep that night, Jones remained awake with the child.

The DCI stated in the complaint that Jones was the only individual with the child prior to the injuries being inflicted.

The Iowa Office of the State Medical Examiner ruled the cause of death as multiple blunt force injuries to the infant’s head and listed the manner of death as homicide.

Jones is currently being held in the Hamilton County Jail with bond set at $5 million cash only.

A preliminary hearing for Jones has been set for November 12 at 10:45 a.m. at the Hamilton County Courthouse.