An Iowa woman is currently in custody after authorities allege she wrapped her newborn infant in a towel while he was “barely breathing,” prior to his death.
Margaret Conant, 39, faces charges of child endangerment resulting in substantial risk of bodily injury, as well as a prohibited act related to a prescription drug violation, according to jail records reviewed by Law&Crime. She is being held at the Linn County Correctional Center on a $5,000 bond.
On December 31, 2025, officers from the Marion Police Department responded to Conant’s residence following a report of an unconscious and unresponsive newborn. Upon arrival, authorities discovered a deceased baby boy.
As the investigation progressed, police reportedly determined that Conant had given birth two days prior to the incident. According to authorities, the defendant acknowledged that the infant was “barely breathing” and had only produced sounds for approximately one minute following his birth.
Rather than seeking emergency medical assistance, Conant allegedly wrapped the child , referred to in court documents as “C.C.” , in a towel, placed him inside a bag, and then positioned that bag on a closet shelf. She reportedly told police that the infant had ceased making any sounds at that point.
An autopsy conducted as part of the ongoing investigation determined that C.C. had been born at approximately 25 to 26 weeks of gestation. Authorities further established that the defendant had ordered abortion medications from an online service known as “Women on Web” on December 21, 2025 , ten days before the infant’s death.
Conant allegedly admitted to providing false information regarding her last menstrual period in order to obtain the medications mifepristone and misoprostol.
Nick Maybanks of the Linn County Prosecutor’s Office informed regional ABC affiliate KCRG that the case was particularly complex, which consequently delayed the filing of charges by nearly a year. He noted that prosecutors relied on evidence including data extracted from the defendant’s mobile phone in determining that charges were warranted.
Maybanks further stated that it remains unclear whether immediate medical intervention would have been sufficient to save the child’s life.
Conant was formally booked into the county jail on Wednesday.
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