A Norwalk grandfather who with the mother’s help allegedly placed his newborn grandson in a trash bag and left it in a ditch where the baby later died has been found incompetent to stand trial.
A district court judge on Monday ruled that Rodney A. Staude was mentally unstable, writing that “the Court finds by a preponderance of the evidence that the defendant is suffering from a mental disorder, which prevents him from appreciating the charge, understanding the proceedings, or assisting effectively in the defense.”
The judge, Charles Sinnard, ordered that Staude be held in the Warren County Jail until he can be placed at the Iowa Medical and Classification Center to treatment. Sinnard directed that he receive a written report of Staude’s status within 30 days of his admission to the center and every 60 days thereafter “until either competency is restored or the placement is terminated.”
Norwalk police arrested Staude, 64, and his daughter Megan K. Staude, 25, the baby’s mother, in March 2023 on charges of first-degree murder. She is set for trial in July.