Woman deIivered her baby at home, then ignored the chiId’s cries for two days before she and her parent pIaced the infant in a container while stiII aIive and Ieft it aIong the road, causing the chiId’s death: DA

Iowa – An Iowa woman will be sentenced next week after pleading guilty to second-degree murder in the death of her newborn chiId. The defendant, 28-year-old M. Stuade is scheduled for sentencing on September 22, 2025, and faces up to fifty years in prison. Her father, Roddney, still faces first-degree murder charges and is scheduled to appear in court the same day, with a potential trial set to begin on October 15, 2025.

The mother was convicted of second-degree murder after pleading guilty to the death of her chiId. She had initially faced a first-degree murder charge. As part of a plea agreement with prosecutors, she is scheduled to be sentenced last week.

The incident occurred in late Feb. 2023 when the woman gave birth to a baby at her home in Iowa. According to court documents, she placed the child in a box and did not provide any care for him for two days. The parent reportedly ignored the baby’s cries for two days. The woman and her dad then allegedly put the infant in a trash bag,  while the newborn was still alive. They then abandoned the bag containing the infant’s body in a ditch near their home.

Initially, both defendants were charged with first-degree murder. However, the woman entered a guilty plea to second-degree murder, and her father’s case was delayed due to a mental evaluation. In August, a judge ruled that the man was competent to stand trial. His trial is scheduled to begin in Oct.

The investigation into the infant’s death began when the woman’s colleagues became suspicious after noticing she was no longer pregnant and her story about the baby’s death did not add up. They contacted Iowa authorities, leading to the discovery of the baby’s body in the ditch. A witness also provided a text message from the woman admitting that the baby was alive when she and her father abandoned him.

An autopsy was performed, and the cause of death was determined to be asphyxiation due to the manner in which the baby was disposed of. The case has drawn attention to the importance of Iowa’s Safe Haven Law, which allows parents to legally leave an infant up to 90 days old at any hospital or healthcare facility without facing prosecution.