The newborn’s father stated that the couple was concerned that law enforcement would discover the child — and be found with meth in its system. Fearing that the baby’s cries would draw suspicion from neighbors and lead to the discovery of the child with meth in its system, the couple made the joint decision to allegedly kill the newborn to avoid having their toddler son taken from them by Child Protective Services.
Thoma then reportedly demonstrated to Blaha that they could submerge the baby in the bathtub.
After the alleged act was committed, Blaha stated that Thoma wrapped the baby in a trash bag and placed the body in a backpack.
Thoma told detectives that on December 5 he left the home with the newborn’s body in his backpack and discarded of the remains in a rural area just north of the North Carolina Iowa Regional landfill.
Surveillance footage from the couple’s apartment aligned with the father’s statement. A piece of the newborn’s umbilical cord or placenta was discovered at the couple’s home, which the mother and father revealed was kept to remember their daughter.
Thoma is currently being held on a $1.05 million bond and Blaha is held at a $1 million bond.
