An Iowa woman who admitted to killing her newborn baby will be sentenced next week after pleading guilty to second-degree murder.
The defendant, 28-year-old M. Stuade, is scheduled for sentencing on September 22, 2025, and faces up to 50 years in prison. Her father, Roddney Stuade, still faces first-degree murder charges and is scheduled to appear in court the same day. His trial is expected to begin October 15, 2025.
Originally charged with first-degree murder, the mother entered a plea agreement to second-degree murder.
According to court documents, the crime occurred in late February 2023 when the woman delivered her baby at home. She allegedly placed the infant in a box and ignored his cries for two days. She and her father then reportedly placed the still-living infant in a trash bag and abandoned him in a ditch near their home.
Both were initially charged with first-degree murder, but the father’s case was delayed pending a mental evaluation. In August, a judge ruled he is competent to stand trial.
The investigation began after the woman’s coworkers became suspicious when she was no longer pregnant and her account of the baby’s death did not add up. They contacted authorities, leading to the discovery of the baby’s body. A witness also provided a text message from the woman admitting the baby was alive when she and her father left him.
An autopsy determined the baby died from asphyxiation caused by the way he was disposed of.
The case has drawn attention to Iowa’s Safe Haven Law, which allows parents to legally leave infants up to 90 days old at any hospital or healthcare facility without facing prosecution.
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