A Minnesota community is in shock after an 18-year-old daycare employee confessed to suffocating an 11-month-old boy and attempting to kill another infant, allegedly calling the attacks an “attention-seeking act.”
Theah Loudemia Russell, a recent hire at Rocking Horse Ranch daycare in Savage, was charged with second-degree murder and multiple counts of assault. Savage Police Chief Brady Juell stated that Russell admitted to intentionally suffocating the children.
The investigation began on September 22, 2025, when officers responded to a 911 call reporting that 11-month-old Harvey Muklebust was not breathing. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital. Authorities later identified a pattern involving a four-month-old girl, who had also been found unresponsive at the facility days earlier.
Detectives determined Russell, who had worked at the daycare for only three weeks, was the common factor in each incident. Investigators conducted dozens of interviews with staff, parents, and contractors, which confirmed her involvement.
Harvey’s family attended the police announcement, where his grandmother shared a heartfelt tribute, saying, “Harvey’s fingerprints are on my sliding glass door and his drool stains still show on these crib sheets… Those are the little things that I’m not ready to wash away.”
Russell is being held on $3.5 million bail and faces charges of second-degree murder, as well as first- and third-degree assault for the surviving infant. Her next court appearance is scheduled for February 4.