Northeast Iowa Woman Found Guilty in 2022 Death of Toddler Denied New Sentence

A northeast Iowa woman, found guilty for causing the death of a toddler in her care in 2022, has been denied in her request for reconsideration of her sentence.

In May 2023, 71-year-old Shirley Weber of Cresco was charged with child endangerment causing death, a Class B felony, after she was accused of operating an unlicensed daycare on June 28, 2022, when she placed a 16-month-old boy in his car seat, but only fastened the top buckle. The toddler later slid down in the car seat and was choked by that top buckle. He died July 1, 2022.

In July 2025, a Howard County jury returned a guilty verdict against Weber, and in August 2025, despite almost 20 letters in support of leniency for Weber,  Judge Richard Stochl sentenced her to serve up to the maximum of 50 years in prison.  The sentence does not set a minimum amount of prison time to be served before she is considered for parole.

In early December 2025, Weber filed a motion for reconsideration of her sentence, including seeking her release from prison. In her letter to Judge Stochl, Weber wrote that not a day goes by that she doesn’t think of the toddler and his parents. She also states the boy’s “death was a tragic accident and I would never hurt a child intentionally.”

The State filed a resistance motion, arguing because Weber was convicted of a Class “B felony, she cannot be eligible for reconsideration of sentence pursuant to Iowa code (Section 902.4).

On Sunday (03.01),  Judge Stochl ruled “The Court has reviewed the file and declines to reconsider the defendant’s sentence.”