Iowa mom confesses to drowning her newborn in tub to hide meth in baby’s system

Following a home birth, a 24-year-old mother from Iowa confessed to deliberately submerging her baby girl in a bathtub, resulting in her death. This horrific act was committed in order to conceal the presence of methamphetamine in the newborn’s body. As a consequence, the mother has been sentenced to a lengthy imprisonment of 50 years.

On Friday, Taylor Blaha admitted to second-degree murder and requested an immediate sentencing. According to Des Moines Register, she will need to spend 70% of her sentence, equivalent to 35 years, before being considered for parole.

Last month, Brandon Thoma, who is 31 years old, admitted his guilt to the charges of child endangerment leading to a fatality and mistreatment of a deceased body. Thoma happens to be Blaha’s boyfriend and the father of her two kids.

According to authorities, Blaha and Thoma submerged their recently born child in a partially filled tub to silence her cries, then proceeded to place her motionless body in a backpack and dispose of it in a forested region. The infant’s remains were never found.

Blaha stated that she had consumed methamphetamine when she gave birth on November 16, 2022. She and her partner were concerned that if child services found out, they would be deprived of custody of their two-year-old son.

According to court documents, the unsavory account commenced in April of 2022 when Blaha informed Thoma that she was expecting her second kid, fathered by him.

After being apprehended, the youthful mother informed law enforcement that she and Thoma had initially intended for a relative to take custody of their daughter, as they had no desire to jointly raise her.

According to court records, the mobile phones of the pair were discovered to have conducted internet queries on methods to provoke a pregnancy miscarriage.

Blaha mentioned that during her labor in the bathroom of her apartment, she requested Thoma to provide her with methamphetamine in order to alleviate the discomfort.

According to the website Law & Crime, court documents state that Baby Kayleen came into the world breathing, exhibiting arm and leg movements, and even revealing her brown eyes to her mother.

Kayleen subsequently burst into tears, causing anxiety for her parents who were worried that the noise might attract attention from the neighbors, prompting them to contact the authorities.

Blaha stated that Thoma assisted her in positioning herself next to the tub and demonstrated the method of submerging their baby underwater by pressing on her chest. Additionally, Blaha mentioned that she kept a portion of the baby’s umbilical cord as a keepsake.

“When I tried to take my hands off her, he would put my hands back on her and encourage me to keep going,” Blaha stated on Friday in court. “She died as a result.”

During the interrogation, Blaha and Thoma confessed to the investigators that they had wrapped their deceased daughter in dark garbage bags and forcefully placed her inside a backpack.

According to the documents, Thoma was captured on surveillance footage exiting the apartment with a backpack that held a significant “rectangular item”. After approximately 20 minutes, he reappeared with an empty backpack.

On November 22, authorities were informed about the demise of Kayleen and initiated an investigation to locate her remains. They meticulously combed through forests in Fort Dodge and in close proximity to a garbage disposal site, yet their efforts proved fruitless.

At the beginning, Blaha was accused of committing first-degree murder and she denied the charges. However, on Friday, she decided to change her plea and admitted guilt for a less severe offense.

Thoma, who was also accused of first-degree murder initially, agreed to a plea bargain that reduced the charge against him. His sentencing is scheduled for September 1.