Police say Iowa couple drowned newborn in apartment bathtub

Authorities said a northern Iowa couple drowned their newborn in a bathtub shortly after she was born, fearing her cries would draw the attention of police. They're charged with first-degree murder, even though the baby's remains have not been found in weeks of searching.

Brandon D. Thoma, 31, and Taylor K. Blaha, 24, both of Fort Dodge, were charged Wednesday in the presumed death of the infant, and Thoma also was charged with a felony count of abusing a corpse, court documents show.

In an arrest affidavit, Webster County Sheriff's Detective Amy Stringer said police received a call on Nov. 22 from a caseworker who said Blaha had shown up at a Fort Dodge hospital saying she had given birth days earlier at the apartment she shared with Thoma, the father of the baby and of Blaha's 2-year-old child.

In a subsequent interview with Stringer, Blaha said she had discovered in April that she was pregnant, and that she gave birth on Nov. 16 in the apartment bathroom after Thoma gave her methamphetamine to deal with the pain, the affidavit said.

Blaha confirmed that the baby was born alive, Stringer said, and was crying, moving her arms and legs, and opening her eyes. Blaha said she and Thoma agreed to name the baby Kayleen Lee.

Blaha said they planned to give the baby to Blaha’s sister to adopt, but grew fearful her cries would draw the attention of neighbors and police, so they held the baby underwater in the bathtub until she drowned. Thoma then placed the baby's body in a plastic storage container, wrapped the container in trash bags and carried it out of the apartment in a backpack, the affidavit said.

“Thoma and Blaha have both confirmed ... that once Kayleen was born, Thoma cut the umbilical cord with a pair of scissors that was present within their apartment and...