Defendant Ambrashia Chrzan receives guilty verdict on May 18. Photo by Sam McIntosh.

After two days of witness testimony and about four hours of jury deliberation the court found 29-year-old Ambrashia Chrzan of Riverside guilty of child endangerment resulting in the death of her 17-month-old daughter Avery McCoy.

State Assistant Attorney General Douglas Hammerand and Washington County Attorney John Gish sought to prove the defendant lacked in giving Avery enough food and appropriate health care which significantly contributed to her death.

Evidence showed that the prematurely-born Avery gained 10 pounds in approximately the first six months of her life when she was in foster care and had gotten on the growth chart. After she was placed in the custody of her parents Chrzan and Anthony McCoy on December 4, 2015 Avery weighed no more than 15 pounds until the last doctor’s appointment she attended on September 23, 2016. Avery’s Department of Human Services case was then dismissed on October 4th contingent on the scheduling of a referral appointment with University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics Pediatrics on October 11th. Avery didn’t attend that appointment. Chrzan claimed in an interview with Division of Criminal Investigation Special Agent Ryan Kedley she missed that appointment because she had heard about it at the last minute and neither her or the father McCoy could get out of work. Work records showed that neither Chrzan or McCoy worked on October 11th.

Avery missed two appointments at UIHC referred by her primary physician Dr. David Nacos after she had fallen off the growth chart on July 5th. Chrzan denied knowing anything about the first appointment, but testimony and records show that the appointment was scheduled by one of Avery’s parents. Avery weighed 11 pounds when she died November 9, 2016. On the morning of Avery’s death Chrzan claimed she had fed her peanut butter crackers, but Washington County Medical Examiner Investigator Joan Sieren and Washington County Investigator Chad Ellis both testified they found no food crumbs or particles on Avery’s body. Chrzan is in custody at the Washington County Jail until her sentencing hearing on July 27th at 10:30 a.m.