A Linn County infant death case is now headed to the county’s top trial division, after a judge ruled at a July 2 preliminary hearing that the two parents accused in the child’s death must stand trial in Division I of circuit court. Prosecutors say the defendants are the baby’s parents and have charged each with a single Class A felony count of first-degree endangering the welfare of a child resulting in death. With the case now in the higher division, arraignments are set for September 1.
Online court records show the cases of Angelica Fesler-Ramos and Caleb Francis Colkers were certified to Division I after the July 2 hearing, with both scheduled for Sept. 1 arraignments, according to KTTN. Certification moves the case out of the preliminary phase and into the division that handles felony jury trials in Linn County.
Prosecutors' allegations
According to charging documents, prosecutors allege the parents knowingly created a substantial risk to their infant’s life between Nov. 15 and Dec. 13, 2025 by failing to provide adequate medical care and nutrition. The baby was taken to Pershing Memorial Hospital in Brookfield on Dec. 13 and was pronounced dead after emergency staff attempted life-saving treatment.
Investigators say medical records show the child lost roughly 22% of his birth weight within 10 days of being born and that doctors had recommended hospital admission, a recommendation prosecutors say the parents refused. Authorities also contend the family qualified for federal and state nutrition benefits and that hospital staff documented signs consistent with severe dehydration and malnutrition, as reported by KMMO.
Court history and earlier proceedings
Criminal complaints were first filed in December 2025, and early court appearances involved not-guilty pleas and bond arguments. Initial filings show bond set at $100,000 during pretrial proceedings. Local coverage indicates Fesler-Ramos entered a not-guilty plea in mid-December, and Colkers appeared at later hearings, according to KCHI. Those early steps led up to the July preliminary hearing where the case was certified to Division I.
Legal stakes
The Class A felony count carries a possible sentence of 10 to 30 years in prison or life, according to the felony complaints. Missouri’s sentencing framework includes truth-in-sentencing rules that state courts have interpreted to require roughly 85% of certain prison terms be served before an offender is eligible for parole, an issue discussed in decisions such as Webb v. State. Taken together, those penalties and parole rules mean a conviction could result in a lengthy prison term if a jury or judge finds the elements of the offense proved beyond a reasonable doubt.
What’s next
The Sept. 1 arraignments in Linn County Circuit Court will mark the formal start of the Division I phase, after which the case will move into pretrial proceedings that typically include discovery, motion hearings, and negotiations over whether the case goes before a jury. Investigators have previously said that during interviews the parents cited financial struggles and that medical staff had warned against traveling with the infant because of his condition, according to KMBC.
The court calendar and future filings in the case are expected to clarify how quickly the matter moves toward trial, and updates will likely follow as new records become public in the run-up to the September hearings.
