A 24-year-old mum was sentenced to 50 years in jail after she confessed to drowning her newborn daughter in the tub to hide the fact the baby had meth in her system.

Taylor Blaha, from Fort Dodge, in the US State of Iowa, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder during a District Court hearing on 18th August.

She delivered a healthy-looking, brown-eyed baby girl whom she called Kayleen Blaha.

Along with her 31-year-old boyfriend, Brandon Thoma, Blaha decided to drown the newborn girl on 16th November, 2022, as they got worried that hearing the baby’s cries, someone might alert authorities.

Blaha admitted she was concerned authorities would find methamphetamine in the baby’s system that she was using and they would then take away the couple’s two-year-old son.

They then stuffed the child’s body in a backpack and dumped her in the woods.

Police were alerted six days later after Blaha got admitted to a hospital where doctors realised she had recently given birth.

She was arrested and admitted to disposing of the baby, whom she claimed she originally planned to give up for adoption.

Web searches for how to induce miscarriage were later presented in court, proving the couple had no intention of raising the child.

Police searched for the baby but so far no remains have been found.

Blaha was initially charged with first-degree murder to which she pleaded not guilty.

She later changed her stance when she offered a plea deal and was given a 50-year prison sentence, and will not be eligible for parole for the first 35 years.

Thoma, who reportedly instructed Blaha to press down on the baby’s chest while submerged in the tub, pleaded guilty last month to child endangerment resulting in death and abuse of a corpse.

He is set to be sentenced on 1st September.

District Court Judge Christopher Polking said to Blaha during sentencing: “A parent is entrusted to protect, nurture and care for their child.

“You betrayed that trust and instead murdered a helpless newborn baby.

“While your sentence is mandatory, considering the nature and circumstances of the offense and the need to protect the community and deter others from such crimes, the sentence is still appropriate in the eyes of the court.”