An Iowa woman and her father are each heading to prison for decades for murdering and discarding her newborn baby along a snowy road.

Megan K. Staude, aged 28, and her father, Rodney Staude, 67, have both been sentenced to 50 years in prison as of Monday. Megan confessed to second-degree murder in July, followed by her father’s guilty plea to the same crime this Monday. Prosecutor Douglas Eichholz described how the baby boy was heartlessly left “like trash” in a roadside ditch by the Staudes. Despite their family’s efforts to support Megan during her pregnancy, she refused their help.

Eichholz highlighted the tragedy by stating, “It’s distressing that Megan was aware of the options available to her.” He mentioned the Safe Haven law, which she ignored, calling the situation “senseless” given its potential to save the baby.

Megan Staude’s lawyer explained that she became “lost” after her mother passed away in 2018, lacking someone she could lean on. While her lawyer claimed Megan took responsibility, she pointed fingers at her father during her court statement, alleging he was the one who killed and disposed of the newborn, with her only complying.

Eicholz read aloud a victim impact statement from the boy’s father.

“I hope you face justice,” her statement read. “I am shattered and devastated by what you did to our son, who was just a baby. Who harms an innocent child that way? Who harms a baby?”

The Staudes must serve at least 70% — or 35 years — of the sentence before they are eligible for parole.

According to Law&Crime, the incident came to light on March 8, 2023, following a call to the Norwalk Police Department by someone worried about a child’s safety. The next day, authorities found the deceased infant alongside a snowy stretch of Delaware Street in Warren County. Investigations revealed that Megan gave birth in late February 2023, placed the baby in a box, and ignored his cries for two days.

Afterward, the Staudes reportedly placed the living infant inside a trash bag, which prosecutors say they subsequently discarded in a roadside ditch.

Local CBS affiliate KCCI reported that Megan Staude’s co-workers were the ones who raised those concerns that day. They noticed that she was no longer pregnant and were suspicious, and at least one neighbor was shocked, but not surprised.

Megan Staude appears in court with attorney Jill Eimermann on April 24, 2023 (KCAU).

“Honestly, I was pretty appalled. Not really surprised though, just cause the vibe they gave,” Chris Hentschel reportedly told KCCI. “They were kinda weird.”

The report noted that the residence where Megan Staude gave birth was considered “unsafe to occupy.”

Investigators said Rodney Staude helped his daughter abandon the victim in a ditch, rather than bring the baby to a Safe Haven, as defined by Iowa law.

In a previous phone interview with Law&Crime, Norwalk Police Chief Greg Staples said that it has been a “difficult” and “emotional investigation” for all involved.

“Luckily justice is being served for the baby who didn’t have any say-so in what happened to him,” Staples said, crediting officers who “buckled down and solved a case of this magnitude so quickly.”

Staples said that a cadaver dog named Montana, with the search and rescue group Iowa SAR K9, found the baby covered in snow.

“Safe Haven laws are there for a reason,” Staples emphasized. “It is a shame that because the Safe Haven laws weren’t used in this case we have the death of a newborn and two people in jail charged with the most serious crime that there is.”

The police chief hoped that shining a light on this tragic case would ensure it wouldn’t happen again.

“If there’s one thing that’s good that comes out of this investigation it’s that someone pregnant out there will see this story and their baby will have a life to live unlike this baby,” Staples said.