Iowa State Police allege a couple drowned their newborn in an apartment bathtub shortly after the baby was born.
Brandon Thoma, 31, and Taylor Blaha, 24, are charged in connection with the infant’s alleged death. According to court documents, Thomas is charged with abuse of a corpse.
Webster County Sheriff’s Detective Amy Stringer said in an arrest affidavit that a caseworker called police on Nov. 22 after Blaha said she went to a hospital in Fort Dodge, Iowa, and delivered the baby at the apartment. He said that he was away and that he was with his father Thomas. , and Blakha’s 2-year-old child.
Blakha told Stronger that she found out about her pregnancy in April and gave birth to the baby on Nov. 16 in the apartment’s bedroom, according to the affidavit.
IOWA POLICE “found no evidence” after excavating the site where a SERIAL killer was rumored to have dumped the bodies.
31-year-old Brandon Thoma (right) and 24-year-old Taylor Blaha (right) are charged in the infant’s alleged death. According to court documents, Thomas is charged with abuse of a corpse.
(Webster County Jail via AP)
The mother told Stringer that the baby was born alive and moving.
At first, according to court documents, Blaha wanted to give the baby to her sister and allow her to be adopted. The couple feared the baby’s cries would attract the attention of neighbors and the police, and decided to keep the baby in a filled bathtub to drown him, the documents said.
“Both Toma and Blaxa confirmed … After Kailyn was born, Toma cut the umbilical cord with a pair of scissors in the apartment, and shortly thereafter cut the extra cord to keep the baby alive.” Stringer said, according to the statement.
When authorities searched the apartment, they found the remains of an umbilical cord or placenta in a dresser drawer.
AUTHORITIES are beginning a search for remains at the scene of a suspected murder in Iowa.
Blaha and Thoma exchanged texts saying the baby’s body had been dumped in a wooded area, but law enforcement did not find the baby’s body in the area, the statement said.
Thoma also told the police that he buried the baby in a certain place, but the authorities were unable to find the body after digging.
The baby’s father, Thomas, was also questioned by Stringer, who said police found meth in the baby’s system and admitted drowning the baby because he was afraid he would have custody of the 2-year-old.
Blaxa also told Stringer that she and Thoma had initially been trying to get pregnant, according to the affidavit.
Story County Public Defender Paul Rounds, who is representing Thoma, said his client will plead not guilty.
The couple is being held on $1 million bail.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.