An Emmetsburg daycare provider, Hannah Priest, has recently plead not guilty to one count of child endangerment resulting in death. The 28-year-old was arrested on September 1st after an investigation into the death of a 23-month-old child.
The incident occurred on January 19th of this year when emergency medical technicians responded to a report of an unresponsive child at a residence in Emmetsburg. The child was rushed to Palo Alto County Hospital and later transferred to a hospital in Des Moines, where he tragically passed away five days later.
After an investigation by the Iowa DCI and Iowa Office of the State Medical Examiner, it was revealed that the child had died from head trauma consistent with inflicted injuries. In a May 2023 interview, court documents show that Priest admitted to being frustrated with the 23-month-old around nap time as he had not yet gone to the bathroom that day. She confessed to putting the child into his cot by his shoulders and may not have been aware of her own strength. Authorities say she went on to admit that her frustration led her to set the child into the cot forcefully.
Currently, Priest is out of jail after posting a $50,000 bond. Her jury trial is set to begin on February 6.