An Iowa man and his 25-year-old daughter were charged with first-degree murder after abandoning her newborn on the side of an icy road in the snow in a state where Safe Haven laws would have shielded them from prosecution if the infant had been left at an authorized drop-off location.
Megan K. Staude gave birth to a baby boy at home in February before abandoning him in the snow with her father, Rodney Staude, 64.
On March 8, the Norwalk Police Department received a report regarding a child’s safety. According to news reports, Staude’s coworkers became suspicious when they noticed she was no longer pregnant and contacted authorities, concerned about the health of the baby.
When police arrived at the home, Staude allegedly told them that the baby died on the way to the hospital and that she buried him at a cemetery. After discovering no evidence of the burial, the police talked to her again and were told a different story. They discovered the body in a trash bag when they arrived at the location the mother gave them.
According to the monstrous mom, she gave birth on February 24 and then placed her newborn son in a box without caring for him. She allegedly told cops that she and her father had put the still-alive infant in a trash bag and then lied about it to police.
According to investigators, Rodney Staude assisted his daughter in abandoning the newborn in a ditch along Delaware Street in Warren County rather than taking the child to a Safe Haven, as required by Iowa law.
The Safe Haven Act states that a newborn up to 90 days old may be abandoned at a hospital or other health care facility by its parents or another person with the parents’ consent without fear of legal consequences.
A parent may also call 911 and give a paramedic custody of a baby under the age of 90 days. Since the Iowa statute was passed in 2002, more than 50 children have been labeled as safe havens. According to Norwalk Police Chief Greg Staples, the legislation serves its purpose. He went on to say that the failure to follow Safe Haven rules in this case resulted in the death of a newborn child and the arrest of the two people involved. The police chief expressed hope that by bringing this tragic case to light, a horrible crime would not happen again.
