TFollowing the discovery of a newborn in a garbage bag in a roadside ditch in Iowa, the baby’s mother and grandfather were detained and charged with first-degree murder.
According to court records, the infant boy was still alive when he was placed in a trash bag and left to perish.
According to an arrest document, Megan K. Staude, 25, of Norfolk, told officers that her child was born on February 24.
She said that she and her father stuffed the infant in a sack after abandoning him in a box for two days as he wailed and received no attention.
According to the records, Rodney Staude, 64, admitted that he had assisted his daughter in getting rid of the baby not far from their house.
New York Post covers the news on their official Twitter account:
Mom, grandfather charged with murder after leaving newborn in trash bag along Iowa road https://t.co/TbWmLW7AmS pic.twitter.com/LYiV9AlsOF
— New York Post (@nypost) March 16, 2023
The mother and father first told the authorities that the infant passed away after being born while being transported to the hospital. Megan Staude claimed to have interred the child in a cemetery in Cumming, Iowa, but investigators couldn’t find any evidence of a recently excavated burial there.
Megan Staude’s coworkers were suspicious when they discovered she was no longer pregnant, and they alerted authorities on March 8.
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Officers Find Infant on Delaware Street
With the use of cadaver dogs, authorities discovered a deceased infant on Delaware Street the following day, according to KCCI.
Authorities were shown a text exchange between a witness and Megan Staude on March 13 in which the witness inquired about the baby’s wellbeing before leaving. and she answered, “A little,” the complaint states.
“It’s just a tragic set of circumstances on a number of levels,” Norwalk Police Chief Greg Staples told The Des Moines Register. “That baby didn’t have the choice to decide his own fate, and now there’s people in jail because of it.”
Authorities stated the investigation is ongoing and the autopsy findings are still awaited.
On a $1 million bond, Rodney and Megan Staude are both being held in the Warren County jail.
The father of the child is unknown, according to the authorities, who told the Register.
Under Iowa’s Safe Haven Act, parents are not subject to prosecution if they turn over newborns 90 days or younger to the state for adoption or foster care.
The Staude’s residence is currently boarded up and marked with placards that read “unsafe to dwell,” according to KCCI.
Chris Hentschel, a neighbor, told the publication that he was sickened by the baby’s passing.
“We knew she was pregnant. We didn’t know she delivered it,” Hentschel said. “We had no idea.”
“Honestly, I was pretty appalled. Not really surprised though, just cause the vibe they gave. They were kinda weird,” he added.
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