Minnesota police say 18-year-old Theah Loudemia Russell admitted to deliberately suffocating 11-month-old Harvey Muklebust and another infant while working at a daycare, describing the acts as an “attention-seeking” behavior.
Investigators say Russell confessed to attempting to kill the first child twice and to fatally harming Muklebust.
Muklebust was found unresponsive on September 22, 2025, and later died at a hospital. Russell had been employed at Rocking Horse Ranch for just three weeks before the tragedy.
Authorities revealed that two days earlier, a 4-month-old at the same facility was discovered unresponsive with blood present, yet police were not notified at the time.
Law enforcement noted Russell had a documented pattern of alarming behavior, including erratic interactions with children, fire-starting incidents, and multiple “nonsensical” 911 calls… red flags now central to the investigation.
