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Cops: Boy dies due to weighted mattress to stop escapes, couple arrested

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MYERSTOWN, Pa. (AP) -- A Pennsylvania couple has been jailed on charges they tied and weighted down a mattress on top of their son's crib so he couldn't climb out, leading him to suffocate.

Twenty-nine-year-old Justin Dwyer and 28-year-old Courtney Stash were arraigned Wednesday on involuntary manslaughter and other counts in the April death of their 2-year-old son.

Detectives say the Myerstown couple was weighing down the mattress with two 50-pound bags of rock salt and securing it with bungee cords.

A police affidavit says they did not mention covering the crib when interviewed. Police say a few days later, their 8-year-old son told them of the alleged practice.

Police say the boy suffocated when his head got caught between the crib and overlying mattress.

The couple's lawyers didn't immediately return calls.

If you have any information regarding the 2007 crimes with ties to the Town Center at Boca Raton, call Crime Stoppers of Palm Beach County at 800-458-TIPS. Tipsters could be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000. You can remain anonymous.

You can also contact the detectives assigned to these cold cases using the information below:

Detective Scott Hanley
Boca Raton Police Department
shanley@myboca.us
561-338-1344

Detective William Springer
Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office
springerw@pbso.org
561-688-4013