CEDAR RAPIDS, IA - A woman in her thirties was arrested after allegedly wrapping her baby in a towel as he was "barely breathing" and holding him in it until he stopped moving.
The mother, 39-year-old Margaret Conant, has been charged with child endangerment causing the substantial risk of bodily injury and a prohibited act involving a prescription drug violation, according to jail records reviewed by Law & Crime.
She was booked into the Linn County Correctional Center on a $5,000 bond. On December 31, 2025, officers with the Marion Police Department (MPD) were dispatched to Conant's home over a report about an unconscious and unresponsive newborn. Upon arriving, officers found a dead baby boy, according to a criminal complaint.
After their initial investigation, police learned that Conant had given birth two days before. She said the baby was "barely breathing" and had only made sounds for about a minute after he was born, authorities said.
Instead of calling for help, Conant allegedly wrapped the child, referred to as "C.C.," in a towel, placed him in a bag and then moved that bag into a closet on a shelf. He no longer made any sounds, she apparently added when talking to police. As the investigation continued, an autopsy determined that C.C. was born at about 25 and 26 weeks of gestation.
Authorities said they learned the defendant had ordered abortion pills from an online service called "Women on Web" on December 21, 2025, 10 days before her child's death. Conant allegedly admitted to lying about her last menstrual period in order to obtain the pills mifepristone and misoprostol.
Nick Maybanks with the Linn County Prosecutor's Office said that the case was complex and, as a result, took nearly a year to bring charges. He said prosecutors found evidence such as information downloaded from her phone to decide charges were necessary. The prosecutor also said that it is not clear if immediate medical care would have saved the baby.
The mother, 39-year-old Margaret Conant, has been charged with child endangerment causing the substantial risk of bodily injury and a prohibited act involving a prescription drug violation, according to jail records reviewed by Law & Crime.
She was booked into the Linn County Correctional Center on a $5,000 bond. On December 31, 2025, officers with the Marion Police Department (MPD) were dispatched to Conant's home over a report about an unconscious and unresponsive newborn. Upon arriving, officers found a dead baby boy, according to a criminal complaint.
After their initial investigation, police learned that Conant had given birth two days before. She said the baby was "barely breathing" and had only made sounds for about a minute after he was born, authorities said.
Instead of calling for help, Conant allegedly wrapped the child, referred to as "C.C.," in a towel, placed him in a bag and then moved that bag into a closet on a shelf. He no longer made any sounds, she apparently added when talking to police. As the investigation continued, an autopsy determined that C.C. was born at about 25 and 26 weeks of gestation.
Authorities said they learned the defendant had ordered abortion pills from an online service called "Women on Web" on December 21, 2025, 10 days before her child's death. Conant allegedly admitted to lying about her last menstrual period in order to obtain the pills mifepristone and misoprostol.
Nick Maybanks with the Linn County Prosecutor's Office said that the case was complex and, as a result, took nearly a year to bring charges. He said prosecutors found evidence such as information downloaded from her phone to decide charges were necessary. The prosecutor also said that it is not clear if immediate medical care would have saved the baby.
For corrections or revisions, click here.
The opinions reflected in this article are not necessarily the opinions of LET
Comments