A 24-year-old Iowa mother has been sentenced to 50 years in prison after confessing to drowning her newborn daughter in a bathtub shortly after a home birth.
Taylor Blaha pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, resulting in her immediate sentencing. She must serve at least 35 years, or 70% of her sentence, before becoming eligible for parole.
Blaha’s boyfriend, 31-year-old Brandon Thoma, the father of her two children, had previously pleaded guilty to child endangerment resulting in death and misuse of a corpse.
Together, the couple submerged their infant daughter in a partially filled bathtub to silence her cries, then hid her lifeless body in a backpack before discarding it in a wooded area.
Blaha revealed that she had consumed methamphetamine during her delivery on November 16, 2022. Out of fear that child services might intervene, which could have threatened the custody of their two-year-old son, the couple decided to drown their newborn, Kayleen. This disturbing act was preceded by a number of alarming behaviors, including online searches on how to induce a miscarriage.
During the grim episode, Thoma actively encouraged Blaha to drown their daughter, even demonstrating how to do so. Afterward, they concealed the infant’s body in a backpack. Security footage captured Thoma leaving with the backpack and later returning with it empty.
Authorities were alerted of the baby’s death on November 22, sparking an extensive search for her remains in Fort Dodge’s wooded locations and a neighboring landfill. The infant’s body, however, was never recovered. Originally facing a charge of first-degree murder, Blaha pleaded guilty to the lesser count of second-degree murder.
Thoma’s sentencing is set for September 1, following his acceptance of a plea deal that reduced his charges.