Youth Charged in Death of Boy With Heart Valve

A 14-year-old boy was charged with involuntary manslaughter and serious assault Friday for allegedly delivering a blow that dislodged a plastic heart valve, causing the death of a 13-year-old classmate.

Jasper County Atty. John Billingsley said the boy, Jody Collins of Newton, had gotten into a hallway scuffle with Justin Charles Cupples at Berg Junior High School on Sept. 24.

Court documents said Cupples was hit once in the chest and once in the back. He collapsed and, two days later, died at a Des Moines hospital.

The heart valve was implanted in August to correct a birth defect.

Billingsley said medical examiners theorized that the blow either loosened stitches around the valve, causing further bleeding and loosening that was aggravated when paramedics attempted to massage Cupples’ heart, or that the punch caused an irregular heartbeat that progressed to cardiac arrest during the heart massage.

Collins surrendered to juvenile authorities Friday and was being held at a youth shelter, Billingsley said. A hearing is scheduled for Monday on whether he should remain in custody until his trial in juvenile court.

“It was our feeling that in juvenile court he would wind up with more of the type of services that would prevent future troubles than if he were tried as an adult,” Billingsley said.