In a disturbing case, a 24-year-old mother from Iowa has been sentenced to 50 years in prison for drowning her newborn daughter in a bathtub just minutes after giving birth at home, reports the NY Post.
The motive behind this horrifying act was to conceal the fact that the baby had methamphetamine in her system. Taylor Blaha, the mother, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and requested an immediate sentencing. She will have to serve at least 35 years, or 70% of her sentence, before being eligible for parole.
Brandon Thoma, the boyfriend, and father of Blaha’s two children, also admitted guilt for child endangerment leading to death and corpse abuse. They drowned their newborn daughter in a partially filled bathtub to silence her, then disposed of her body in an undisclosed wooded area. Blaha admitted being under the influence of methamphetamine during delivery and was afraid of losing custody of their 2-year-old if child services found out about their drug use.
This tragic series of events began when Blaha informed Thoma of her pregnancy, expressing their original intention of having a family member adopt their second child. Later, evidence was found on their cellphones indicating searches on inducing a miscarriage. Blaha requested methamphetamine from Thoma during labor to alleviate the pain. The newborn, named Kayleen, was born alive, but her parents decided to drown her to avoid raising suspicion from neighbors and child services.
Blaha shared a chilling statement in court, revealing that Thoma encouraged her to continue submerging their baby when she attempted to stop. They kept a portion of the baby’s umbilical cord as a keepsake before swaddling her in garbage bags and placing her in a backpack. Despite extensive searches, Kayleen’s body has not been located.
Initially facing a first-degree murder charge, Blaha ultimately pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of second-degree murder. Thoma, who also faced a first-degree murder charge, reached a plea deal and is awaiting sentencing. The devastating consequences of their actions have left a community in shock and a baby girl’s body still missing.
#Clique, what are your thoughts?
