Iowa man accused of drowning newborn in bathtub, disposing of her body pleads guilty
07/28/2023 12:24 pm PDT
FORT DODGE, Iowa (TCD) -- A 31-year-old man who allegedly drowned his newborn child in a bathtub last year pleaded guilty to two charges while the mother of the child still awaits trial.
WHO-TV reports Brandon Thoma entered the plea for abuse of a corpse and child endangerment resulting in the death of a child Wednesday, July 26. He was originally charged with murder. Taylor Blaha has been charged with first-degree murder and her trial is scheduled for September.
Their newborn child’s body has reportedly not been found.
According to the criminal complaint shared by WHO, on Nov. 22, 2022, Blaha went to Unity Point Trinity Regional Medical Center and said she just had a baby at her home "and that it had been buried at an undisclosed location."
An official from the Iowa Department of Human Services contacted the Webster County Sheriff’s Office, and a detective went to the hospital. Blaha told the detective she found out she was pregnant in April with Thoma’s second child. They also have a 2-year-old son.
Blaha gave birth to a baby girl, Kayleen Lee Blaha, in their bathroom on Nov. 16. They moved Kayleen to the bathtub, and Blaha asked Thoma to give her meth "to help ease her pains associated with the birth."
The complaint says Kayleen was born alive and crying.
The couple allegedly planned on giving Kayleen to Blaha’s sister, but they got worried neighbors would call law enforcement if they heard the newborn crying. They also reportedly were worried officials would find out Kayleen had meth in her system and they’d lose custody of their 2-year-old son.
Blaha and Thoma allegedly put the infant in the bathtub and held down her chest, "forcing her underwater, ultimately killing her."
After she died, Thoma reportedly wrapped her body in trash bags, placed her in a plastic tote, and carried it outside in a backpack.
One day after the birth, Thoma left their home with the backpack with their daughter’s body and returned with an empty bag.
Thoma reportedly told Blaha he got rid of Kayleen’s body in a wooded area, but multiple searches for her remains did not yield any results. In early December, he reportedly worked with law enforcement and said he’d lead them to where he actually buried Kayleen, but officials once again couldn’t find her body.
Investigators seized Thoma and Blaha’s electronic devices and reportedly found searches on their phone of "how to force a miscarriage." They allegedly "took actions towards an attempt to cause a miscarriage; however, did so unsuccessfully."
The couple reportedly admitted to detectives they cut Kayleen’s umbilical cord with scissors. While investigators searched the home, they found "object consistent with an umbilical cord or remains of a human placenta" in a drawer.
The criminal complaint alleges both Thoma and Blaha "were involved in causing [Kayleen’s] death."
Thoma’s sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 1.
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