Iowa – An Iowa woman and her famiIy member, 28-year-old Meghan and 67-year-old Rod ney, were each ordered to serve fifty years behind bars Monday after pIeading guiIty to second-degree murder in the death of the woman’s chiId. The victim’s parent entered her plea in July 2024, while the baby’s granndparent pleaded guilty just before their sentencing.
According to Iowa authorities, the investigation process began in Feb. 2023, shortly after the woman gave birth to the child at her home. Investigators say she did not provide adequate care for the baby in the two days following his birth. Evidence from the investigation shows that after those two days, both defendants placed the newborn into a trash bag and abandoned him in a dltch in Iowa.
Iowa authorities say the victim’s mom first told them that the baby had died while being transported to a hospital. She also claimed she had buried the baby in a cemetery in Iowa, but investigators found no evidence of a grave or burial there.
The investigation was advanced when co-workers of the woman tipped off law enforcement, prompting further inquiry. A witness later provided a text message conversation in which the mother admitted the baby was alive when they left him in the trash bag. When asked, “Was the baby alive when you left him?” she allegedly answered, “A little.”
The woman’s father told the court during sentencing that he came home from work to find the newborn alive. He said the woman told him that caring for the child would be too expensive. The man said he suggested the two put the child in a bag and dump it. He confirmed the baby was still alive when placed in the bag and that they then drove off and left him.
The mother, during her sentencing hearing, said she was scared, not thinking clearly, and that she should have done more to stop her father. She expressed regret, saying she was sorry for not being strong enough to save her child.
The woman’s defense attorney said her client became lost after the death of her mother and had no one to turn to for help. While her attorney explained that she accepted responsibility, she told the judge that her father was the one who killed and discarded the baby and that she only went along with it.
Prosecutors described the case as senseless and especially tragic. Under plea agreements, both defendants will be eligible for parole only after serving seventy percent of their sentences, meaning each must serve at least thirty five years.
