Yemissi N Keto: Iowa mom who claimed insanity found guilty of first-degree murder in 1-year-old son's death

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DALLAS, IOWA: A 27-year-old Iowa woman has been found guilty of murdering her one-year-old child in August 2023 on Thursday, March 7, as per Law&Crime.

According to the Des Moines Register, the trial of Yemissi N Keto, who notified that she planned to use a defense of insanity or diminished responsibility, began last week.

She is said to have subjected her toddler to a horrifying ordeal, pouring bleach and various chemical cleaners on his face before manually suffocating him inside their home.

Court records from the recent hearing confirm Keto's conviction on one count of first-degree murder and one count of child endangerment resulting in death.

Several opened bottles of bleach and cleaning products were found in the vicinity of Yemissi N Keto's one-year-old son

On August 31, 2023, Waukee Police Department responded to a 911 call at a residence in the 200 block of NW Greenwood Place regarding an "unknown issue" at approximately 9.56 am.

Upon arrival, first responders discovered a male child, identified in court records as "DK," in an upstairs bedroom of the house. The child was found without a pulse and unresponsive.

Despite attempts by emergency medical personnel to revive him, they were unsuccessful, and he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Inside the residence, police discovered several opened bottles of bleach and cleaning products in the vicinity of DK.

They also detected a strong bleach odor and observed that the bedroom carpet around the child’s body was wet, as well as the floor of the connected bathroom.

Yemissi N Keto admitted to the gruesome killing of her one-year-old son

Police identified Keto as the mother of the victim and took her to the police station to talk to detectives. 

Investigators said she confessed to killing DK in a very cruel way.

"During the interview, Yemissi (Keto) admitted to holding DK on the ground and pouring bleach or another cleaning substance over his face," said an affidavit.

It added, "After pouring said substance on his face, Yemissi (Keto) utilized her hand to cover DK’s nose and mouth, causing him to suffocate and stop breathing. Yesmissi (Keto) admitted these actions were taken with the intent to kill DK."

"Keto, the parent of DK, did commit acts of torture and cruelty, which were intended to cause serious injury," concluded the document.

Keto is scheduled to appear in court before Judge Thomas Patrick Murphy on April 26 for her sentencing hearing. Under Iowa state law, anyone found guilty of first-degree murder must serve life in prison without the possibility of parole.