Trial for Charles City Woman Accused of Child Abuse Delayed After Charge Level is Raised
Trial for a Charles City woman accused of violently abusing a child has been delayed by six days after prosecutors raised a charge against her to a more serious level.
Criminal complaints filed by Charles City Police accuse 37-year-old Samantha Slaughter of physically assaulting a child in the 300 block of 8th Avenue on February 13th. CCPD says Slaughter forcefully grabbed the child’s face, force-fed them food, shook and jerked their face and head, hit them in the face with their own hands, forced them to the floor by neck, as well as slammed the child to the floor. Due to injuries suffered, medical staff told CCPD the child’s long-term prognosis will likely include varying deficits, some possibly permanent.
Slaughter was originally charged with child endangerment causing serious injury, plus willful injury causing serious injury, Class C felonies punishable by up to 10 years in prison each. However, Tuesday (04.29), Floyd County District Court Judge DeDra Schroeder approved County Attorney Todd Prichard’s motion that, in light of further investigation, the charge of child endangerment causing serious injury should be upgraded to child endangerment by multiple acts, a Class B felony punishable by up to 25 years in prison.
With arraignment on the revised charges then set for May 12th, that has resulted in a continuance of Slaughter’s trial from May 13th to May 19th.
Slaughter entered a not guilty plea to the original charges on April 14th and remains held in the Floyd County Jail on $20,000 cash-only bond on each of the counts for a total bail of $40,000 in her name only.
Slaughter, also known as Samantha Jones, was convicted in Winneshiek County March 3rd for child endangerment and assault with bodily injury or mental illness, for which she received a suspended prison sentence and placed on two-years probation. However, after her arrest March 24th in Floyd County, a probation revocation motion has been filed in Winneshiek County and a warrant issued for her arrest.
In the Winneshiek County case, prosecutors say Slaughter assaulted a child under the age of 14 between February and April 2024.
