North Iowa Woman Gets 50-Year Prison Sentence for 2021 Starvation Death of Son

Over three years after her three-month-old infant died of starvation, a north Iowa woman has been sentenced to serve up to a half-century behind bars for causing the child’s death.

According to the criminal complaints, 30-year-old Allyssa Luke of Plymouth knowingly created substantial risk to her three-month-old twin boys by deprivation of proper nutrition. That resulted in the death of one infant, while authorities say the other child was near death in Mason City, on or about February 28, 2021.

Luke was arrested by Mason City Police in February 2023.

In February of this year, Luke was found guilty in Cerro Gordo County District on charges of child endangerment resulting in death, a Class B felony; and child endangerment with serious injury, a Class C felony. 

On Monday (05.13), Luke was sentenced to a prison term not to exceed 50 years for the child that died and a prison term not to exceed 10 years for the child with serious injury, to be served concurrently.