Megan K. Staude, 28, and her father, Rodney Staude, 67, were each sentenced Monday to 50 years in prison. Megan pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in July, while her father entered the same plea this week.
Prosecutor Douglas Eichholz told the court that the infant was “discarded in a ditch like trash.” He explained that relatives had tried to help Megan during her pregnancy, but she refused their support.
“The saddest part about this is Megan knew the options that were available to her,” Eichholz said, noting Iowa’s Safe Haven law. “She knew about the Safe Haven law, but she didn’t take advantage of it. That’s what makes this case senseless.”
Megan’s attorney said she struggled after her mother’s death in 2018 and lacked support. While acknowledging responsibility, she told the court her father was ultimately the one who killed and disposed of the baby, and she went along with his actions.
Eichholz also read a statement from the baby’s father:
“I hope you get what you deserve. I’m totally and emotionally broken for what you did to our son who was a baby. Who does that to an innocent child? Who does that to a baby?”
Both defendants must serve at least 35 years before being eligible for parole.
The investigation began on March 8, 2023, after Norwalk police received a call expressing concern about a child’s safety. The following day, officers discovered the infant’s body along a snowy road in Warren County. Investigators determined that Megan had given birth in late February, placed the newborn in a box, and ignored his cries for two days.
Prosecutors said the Staudes then placed the still-living baby in a trash bag and left him in a roadside ditch.
According to KCCI, Megan’s co-workers grew suspicious when she no longer appeared pregnant, and they raised concerns with authorities. A neighbor told the outlet that while the news was appalling, it was not entirely surprising given the family’s behavior. Authorities later determined that the home where the birth occurred was “unsafe to occupy.”
Investigators concluded that Rodney assisted his daughter in abandoning the infant instead of taking him to a Safe Haven location.
Norwalk Police Chief Greg Staples described the case as deeply emotional for investigators. “Luckily justice is being served for the baby who didn’t have any say-so in what happened to him,” Staples said, crediting officers for their swift work.
He added that a cadaver dog named Montana, with the Iowa SAR K9 search team, located the baby under the snow.
“Safe Haven laws are there for a reason,” Staples said. “It is a shame that because the Safe Haven laws weren’t used in this case, we have the death of a newborn and two people in prison.”
Staples said he hoped the tragedy would prevent similar cases in the future:
“If there’s one good thing to come out of this, it’s that someone out there who is pregnant will see this story and realize their baby can have a life, unlike this baby.”
