Son sentenced to 10 years in prison for role in father dying in 'deplorable conditions'

In what a judge called a “remarkably difficult case,” a West Des Moines man was sentenced to 10 years in prison Monday for the death of his 58-year-old father who was found in what police described as deplorable conditions.

Jacob Schaper, 25, had been charged with second-degree murder in February 2023 after detectives completed a nearly six-month investigation into the death of his father, Steven Schaper.

Schaper pleaded guilty in September to dependent adult abuse and neglect of a dependent person. His co-defendant, Jocelyn Grisham, also pleaded guilty and was sentenced in December to five years probation.

Father found with bed sores

On Aug. 10, 2022, Schaper, who had been a caretaker for his father, had called 911 after he believed his father was having a stroke, according to a criminal complaint. First responders found Schaper’s father laying in a urine- and feces-soaked bed with a soiled diaper and infected bed sores, according to a criminal complaint.

The bed sores were severe to the extent that maggots had been found inside the wounds, according to a criminal complaint. Some of the bed sores were so deep that they had reached all the way to the bone.

Schaper’s father was transported to a local hospital where he later died from multiple health issues.

Schaper, who sought probation like his co-defendant, asserted the reason why he didn’t call first responders or take his father to the hospital was because his father would threaten suicide.

“I have had a long time to think about the events leading up to my father’s death,” Schaper read from a written statement in court. “I’ve had a long time to think about what I would’ve done differently and what I should’ve done differently.”

Schaper, who was released from custody after his guilty plea, said he had been able to secure a full-time job and was planning to enroll in academic courses to obtain his GED.

“I feel regret and remorse, but at the same time I know that I was trying to respect my father’s wishes that he’d not be hospitalized,” Schaper said. “But I know looking back that I should have gone against his wishes and should have called for help earlier and taken him to the hospital earlier.”

Schaper asked the court for probation to spend time with his child he shares with Grisham. But prosecutor Kailyn Heston said Polk County terminated both of their parental rights last week. Schaper’s parental rights were terminated because a lack of visitation, Heston said.

Judge Paul Scott calls the case 'horrific'

At his sentencing hearing Monday, forensic psychologist Luis Rosell testified Schaper had a lower-than-average IQ and had multiple mental health issues such as depression and anxiety. Despite that, Rosell asserted that Schaper was a functioning member of society.

Rosell said that Schaper had a warm, friendly and sympathetic demeanor and posed low risk to society.

Prior to sentencing, Judge Paul Scott said Schaper's father had been bedridden for two months. He described the condition he was in as "incredible."

“The circumstances of the offense obviously are horrific, I don’t know what other word that can be used to describe what I’ve read here,” Scott said.

“I don’t know how you could allow this to happen,” Scott said. “I don’t know how you could sleep in your car at night because the odor was too strong for you to stay inside and not think something ought to be done.”

Scott sentenced Schaper to 10 years in prison for the charge of dependent adult abuse and 10 years for neglect of a dependent person. The sentences will run concurrently.

José Mendiola is a breaking news reporter for the Register. Reach him at jmendiola@dmreg.com.