Newborn Found Dead in Iowa Ditch; Mother, Grandfather Charged

Newborn Found Dead in Iowa Ditch; Mother, Grandfather Charged
Megan Staude's mugshot was provided in Indianola, Iowa on March 15, 2023. Warren County Jail via AP
The Associated Press
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The mother and grandfather of a newborn found dead in a ditch in Iowa have been charged with first-degree murder, and court documents say they told investigators the baby was still alive when they put him in a trash bag and abandoned him.

Megan K. Staude, 25, of Norfolk, told police the child was born at home on Feb. 24, according to a police affidavit. She told authorities that she put him in a box and didn’t provide any care for two days before she and her father Rodney A. Staude, 64, put him in the bag.