An Iowa woman and her father have been sentenced to 50 years in prison each for the murder of her newborn son. Megan K. Staude, 28, and Rodney Staude, 67, were handed their sentences on Monday. Megan Staude had previously admitted to second-degree murder in July, while her father pleaded guilty to the same charge on the day of sentencing. The prosecutor, Douglas Eichholz, described the tragic incident, stating that the infant was “abandoned in a ditch like garbage” by the Staudes.
Eichholz also pointed out that Megan Staude was aware of the options available to her, including the Safe Haven law, but chose not to utilize them. The Safe Haven law allows parents to leave newborns at designated locations without fear of prosecution. “The most heartbreaking aspect of this case is that Megan was aware of the alternatives available to her,” Eichholz said in court. “She was aware of the Safe Haven law, but she chose not to use it. That’s what makes this case so senseless.”
Megan Staude’s defense attorney argued that her client was “lost” following the death of her mother in 2018 and had no one to turn to for help. While acknowledging her client’s responsibility, the attorney also pointed out that Megan Staude blamed her father for the murder and disposal of the baby, claiming she merely went along with his actions.
The court also heard a victim impact statement from the baby’s father, who expressed his emotional devastation over the loss of his son. “I hope you get what you deserve,” the statement read. “I’m completely and emotionally shattered by what you did to our son, who was just a baby. Who does that to an innocent child? Who does that to a baby?”
The Staudes are required to serve at least 70% of their sentence, or 35 years, before they are eligible for parole. The investigation into the case began on March 8, 2023, when the Norwalk Police Department received a call expressing concern for a child’s safety. The following day, the deceased newborn was found along a snowy road in Warren County. Investigators concluded that Megan Staude gave birth in late February 2023, placed the baby in a box, and ignored his cries for two days.
The Staudes are then believed to have placed the still-living infant in a trash bag and discarded it in a ditch along the road. Megan Staude’s coworkers were the ones who initially raised concerns after noticing that she was no longer pregnant. The house where Megan Staude gave birth was deemed “unsafe to occupy.”
Rodney Staude is said to have assisted his daughter in abandoning the baby in a ditch, instead of taking him to a Safe Haven as stipulated by Iowa law. Norwalk Police Chief Greg Staples described the investigation as “difficult” and “emotional,” but expressed relief that justice was being served for the baby.
Staples emphasized the importance of Safe Haven laws, expressing regret that they were not utilized in this case, resulting in the death of a newborn and the imprisonment of two individuals. He expressed hope that the publicity surrounding this tragic case would prevent similar incidents in the future.