Iowa mother keeps newborn in box for 2 days, seals him alive in trash bag and dumps him in a ditch

An Iowa woman convicted of killing her newborn son is set to face sentencing after pleading guilty to second-degree murder in a case that shocked the local community. Megan Staude, 28, of Norwalk, will appear in Warren County Courthouse in Indianola for her sentencing hearing, which was scheduled for September 22, 2025.

The case came to light in March 2023 when the remains of a newborn baby were found in a ditch near Norwalk. Police began investigating after Staude’s coworkers noticed she was no longer pregnant but had not mentioned having a baby. Initially, both Staude and her father told investigators that the baby had died on the way to the hospital and was buried at St. John’s Cemetery in Cumming.

According to court documents, obtained by Court TV, Staude admitted to police that she gave birth at home on February 24, 2023, and immediately placed the infant in a box. She confessed that “the baby cried off and on for two days” while she provided no care or attention to the child. On February 26, Staude and her father, Rodney Staude, 67, placed the infant, who was still alive, into a trash bag before driving to a ditch and discarding it.

Legal proceedings and family involvement

Rodney Staude was initially charged with first-degree murder alongside his daughter. However, he was ruled incompetent to stand trial in February 2024, and his case was separated from Megan’s. Mental competency issues in criminal cases have become increasingly complex in the legal system. In August 2025, a judge found that Rodney had been restored to competency and could stand trial. His jury trial is scheduled for October 15, 2025.

Megan Staude originally faced first-degree murder charges but accepted a plea deal in July 2024 for the lesser charge of second-degree murder. The conviction carries a maximum sentence of 50 years in prison. The plea agreement allowed her to avoid a potential life sentence that could have come with a first-degree murder conviction.

Police investigation revealed that cadaver dogs from the Iowa SAR K9 rescue group helped locate the infant’s body covered in snow. Evidence was also found inside the Staude family home that confirmed someone had given birth there. The baby’s body was discovered more than two weeks after he was allegedly placed in the ditch.

Safe haven laws could have prevented tragedy

Iowa has a Safe Haven Act that allows parents to legally surrender newborns up to 90 days old at hospitals, health care facilities, fire stations, or adoption service providers without facing prosecution for abandonment. The law, enacted in 2002, has been used to save more than 70 children since its implementation. Parents can also call 911 to relinquish custody to first responders.

Norwalk Police Chief Greg Staples emphasized the importance of these laws following the discovery. “Safe Haven laws are there for a reason,” he 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 jail charged with the most serious crime that there is.” The state even provides Safe Haven Baby Boxes in Des Moines and Fort Dodge for completely anonymous surrender of newborns. Similar cases across the country have highlighted why safe haven laws exist to prevent dangerous situations where babies are abandoned in unsafe locations.