Fort Dodge police have made two arrests in the murder of a newborn baby.Taylor Blaha, 24, and Brandon Thoma, 31, are both facing first-degree murder charges. Police tell KCCI Blaha is the mother of the newborn, and Thoma is the father. Thoma also faces an abuse of a corpse charge.Thoma’s bail is a $1,000,050 cash bond. Blaha’s bail is $1 million.Police have been searching for the baby’s remains since late November. The baby’s remains have not been found.Police say they got their first tip on Nov. 22 that a baby was born inside a home, later died and that their body was moved.Police say lab results and interviews led to Wednesday’s arrests. Fort Dodge police Capt. Dennis Quinn told KCCI that investigators have interviewed Blaha and Thoma multiple times, but would not go into detail about their level of cooperation. Quinn said this case has physically and emotionally drained investigators. The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation and the FBI have been assisting in the investigation.”I’m hoping that a lot of people that are working on this can actually get a good night’s rest tonight, because I know we haven’t for the last two-plus weeks,” Quinn said. Even after the arrests, Quinn says law enforcement’s work is not done. They plan to continue to follow tips and conduct searches to try to find the baby. “It is important for us to do everything we can to try to locate the infant,” Quinn said.Crime Stoppers is still offering a $1,500 reward for information leading to the baby’s body.Watch: Missing baby arrests in Fort Dodge Previous coverage: Fort Dodge police search for body of newborn baby after receiving tipFort Dodge police searching landfill for newborn’s bodySearch for remains of newborn moves beyond Fort Dodge landfill
Fort Dodge police have made two arrests in the murder of a newborn baby.
Taylor Blaha, 24, and Brandon Thoma, 31, are both facing first-degree murder charges. Police tell KCCI Blaha is the mother of the newborn, and Thoma is the father.
Thoma also faces an abuse of a corpse charge.
Thoma’s bail is a $1,000,050 cash bond. Blaha’s bail is $1 million.
Police have been searching for the baby’s remains since late November. The baby’s remains have not been found.
Police say they got their first tip on Nov. 22 that a baby was born inside a home, later died and that their body was moved.
Police say lab results and interviews led to Wednesday’s arrests.
Fort Dodge police Capt. Dennis Quinn told KCCI that investigators have interviewed Blaha and Thoma multiple times, but would not go into detail about their level of cooperation. Quinn said this case has physically and emotionally drained investigators. The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation and the FBI have been assisting in the investigation.
“I’m hoping that a lot of people that are working on this can actually get a good night’s rest tonight, because I know we haven’t for the last two-plus weeks,” Quinn said.
Even after the arrests, Quinn says law enforcement’s work is not done. They plan to continue to follow tips and conduct searches to try to find the baby.
“It is important for us to do everything we can to try to locate the infant,” Quinn said.
Crime Stoppers is still offering a $1,500 reward for information leading to the baby’s body.
Watch: Missing baby arrests in Fort Dodge
Previous coverage: Fort Dodge police search for body of newborn baby after receiving tip
Fort Dodge police searching landfill for newborn’s body
Search for remains of newborn moves beyond Fort Dodge landfill