In a state where Safe Haven regulations would have shielded them from prosecution had they left the infant at an authorized place, an Iowa man and his daughter were charged with first-degree murder after a newborn baby was left to die on the side of an icy road. 

In February, 25-year-old Megan K. Staude, gave birth to a baby boy at home and, a few days later, she and her father, Rodney A. Staude, 64, left the newborn out in the snow.

The Norwalk Police Department was notified on March 8 with concerns about a child’s safety. According to KCCI, Megan’s coworkers became suspicious when they realized that she was no longer pregnant and contacted the authorities, worried about the baby’s health and well-being.

When police investigated, Staude allegedly said that the baby had died while they were going to hospital and that she had buried him at the cemetery in Cumming.  After finding no traces of the burial, the police returned and were told a different story.  That’s when they went to the actual location and found the body in a trash bag.

According to a news outlet, Megan confessed that she gave birth on February 24 and then simply put her newborn son in a box without caring for him in any way.  She told police that she and her father had put the still-alive infant in a trash bag, then lied about their actions.

According to investigators, Rodney Staude assisted his daughter in leaving the newborn in a ditch along Delaware Street in Warren County instead of taking the child to a Safe Haven, as is required by Iowa law. The Safe Haven Act stipulates that a newborn up to 90 days old may be left at a hospital or other healthcare facility by either its parents or another person who has the parents’ consent without fear of legal repercussions for abandonment.

A parent may also call 911 and give physical custody of a baby up to 90 days old to a first responder. Since the passing of the Iowa statute in 2002, more than 50 children have been classified as safe havens. Norwalk Police Chief, Greg Staples, said that the legislation was there for a purpose. He added that the fact that Safe Haven rules weren’t employed in this case resulted in the death of an innocent baby and the arrest of the two people involved.  The police chief said he hoped that, by bringing attention to this tragic case, nothing similar would ever happen again.