At around 3 p.m. Nov. 22, the Webster County Telecommunications Center in Iowa received information about a baby who was born at home and later died.
Since that call, information has come to light indicating that the child’s mother took methamphetamine to relieve her birth pains. She and the child’s father have been accused of drowning their baby.
According to the Fort Dodge Police Department, 24-year-old Taylor K. Blaha was arrested this week for felony murder in the first degree. Additionally, 31-year-old Brandon D. Thoma has been arrested in relation with the incident and charged with felony murder in the first degree and felony abuse of a corpse.
Each are being held on more than $1 million bond. They have also have a 2-year-old son together, according to WHO 13.
“As with all cases, Mr. Thoma and Ms. Blaha are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Both are being held on cash bond until their initial appearance before the Webster County Magistrate,” authorities said.
According to an affidavit cited by WHO 13, Blaha asked for methamphetamine to help with the pain of birth while she was in labor around Nov. 16. Thoma allegedly gave her the drug.
When their baby started crying, Blaha and Thoma were worried that their neighbors would hear and contact law enforcement, WHO 13 reported. Per the affidavit, they put the newborn girl in a half-filled bathtub and pushed her underwater by placing their hands on the infant’s chest.
“Blaha allegedly told the detective she and Thoma had no plans to keep the baby and were going to allow Blaha’s sister to adopt her,” and named the child Kayleen Lee Blaha, said the outlet. It also reported that Thoma told police he and Blaha were afraid their son would be taken away if authorities discovered the newborn with methamphetamine in her system.
On Nov. 22, information provided to the Webster communications center indicated that the baby was removed from its birthplace after she passed away.
Blaha allegedly told a detective that Thoma removed the child’s body and placed it in a plastic storage container, wrapped her in multiple plastic bags, and then into a black backpack. Text messages indicate he initially disposed of the baby’s body in a wooded area, but a search of that location by law enforcement did not reveal the child’s remains.
Thoma went with law enforcement this week to a rural area north of the North Central Iowa Regional Landfill where he claimed to have taken the body. Though a full excavation of the area was completed, investigators still did not find the baby’s body.
According to the affidavit, the couple kept sections of the baby’s umbilical cord in the top drawer of a dresser in their apartment and they previously attempted to force a miscarriage.
“Law enforcement quickly responded to this information and has been engaged in an investigation since,” said police Thursday. “All available resources and manpower have been utilized to attempt to locate the newborn’s body and to investigate the circumstances surrounding its birth, death, and the disappearance of its remains.”
As of Thursday, the body had not been located. An up to $1,500 reward has been offered for information that leads directly to the discovery of the body.
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