Savage daycare worker charged with murder after admitting to choking infant at Rocking Horse Ranch
Savage police arrested 18‑year‑old daycare worker Theah Russell and charged her with second‑degree murder in the September death of 11‑month‑old Harvey Muklebust after investigators say she admitted to choking him and have also charged her with attempted murder in two earlier incidents involving an infant girl. State inspection records show Rocking Horse Ranch had prior safety violations, regulators suspended its license citing an imminent risk of harm, and investigators said a child‑abuse pediatric specialist flagged the pattern linking all three medical events to Russell.
📌 Key Facts
- Savage police arrested 18-year-old daycare employee Theah Russell in January and charged her with second-degree murder in the death of 11-month-old Harvey Muklebust and with attempted murder in two separate incidents involving a younger infant girl; police say Russell confessed after her arrest and admitted choking the infants.
- Investigators tied three medical episodes to the same caregiver: two earlier events (reported Sept. 19 and Sept. 22) in which a younger infant vomited a “blood-like” substance, turned pale and lethargic, and a later Sept. 22 event in which Harvey was put down for a nap and later found blue and pulseless; a child‑abuse pediatric specialist flagged the pattern as suspicious.
- Police allege Russell intentionally suffocated/choked the infants on three occasions to seek attention; she initially denied harming the children during a Sept. 24 interview but later admitted the actions and re-created events for investigators using a doll, according to the affidavit.
- Preliminary autopsy and toxicology on Harvey showed no apparent physical injuries and no common poisons; the medical examiner’s final cause of death is still pending.
- State inspection and licensing records show Rocking Horse Ranch Childcare had been cited previously for safety violations; state regulators suspended the center’s license citing an “imminent risk of harm,” and police issued advisories urging parents to closely monitor children.
- Russell had worked at the daycare only a short time (reported as about two months), and investigators and records note prior behavioral red flags, including false or nonsensical 911 calls, misdials, and earlier conduct such as starting fires at a church camp, which factored into the probe.
- City and law‑enforcement leaders held a press conference to outline charges and next steps; Savage’s mayor and police chief described the case as unprecedented for the community and said Russell should not be allowed to harm children again.
📊 Relevant Data
Black children accounted for 26.1% of child maltreatment fatalities in Minnesota from 2014 to 2022, compared to 17.8% of children involved in the child protection system.
Minnesota Child Fatalities from Maltreatment 2014 - 2022 — Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota
The early care and education workforce in Minnesota is 92% White and 98% women.
Minnesota Early Care and Education Workforce: An Overview — Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development
In Minnesota licensed child care centers, there were 0 deaths in 2021, 1 in 2022, 0 in 2023, and 0 in 2024; in licensed family child care programs, there were 0 in 2021, 3 in 2022, 1 in 2023, and 0 in 2024.
Serious Injuries, Deaths, and Maltreatment in Child Care — Parent Aware
Savage, Minnesota's population is 72.3% White (Non-Hispanic), 9.71% Black or African American (Non-Hispanic), and 6.95% Asian (Non-Hispanic) as of 2023.
Savage, MN — Data USA
Federal agents probed fraud allegations targeting Somali child care providers in Minnesota in 2025, with claims of disproportionate targeting but no evidence of large-scale fraud tied to the Somali community.
Fact check: What’s really happening with child care fraud in Minnesota — Louisiana Illuminator
📰 Source Timeline (6)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- Identifies the infant victim by name as 11‑month‑old Harvey Muklebust and the surviving infant as a 5‑month‑old girl at the time of the first incident.
- Lays out a detailed medical timeline: Sept. 19 BRUE event with bloody vomiting, Sept. 22 second bloody‑vomit event and, later that morning, Harvey being put down for a nap and found blue and pulseless.
- Describes that a child‑abuse pediatric specialist flagged the pattern as suspicious and that the common denominator across all episodes was Russell caring for both infants.
- Confirms Russell initially denied harming the infants in a Sept. 24 interview before later admitting to choking them, and that she had worked at the center only about two months.
- Police publicly named the suspect as 18‑year‑old daycare employee Theah Russell and say she will be charged with second‑degree murder in the death of 11‑month‑old Harvey Muklebust plus attempted murder in two incidents involving a 4‑month‑old girl.
- Investigators now allege Russell intentionally suffocated infants on three separate occasions at Rocking Horse Ranch to seek attention, and Savage police say she confessed after her arrest Tuesday.
- Police detailed two earlier Sept. 19 and Sept. 22 episodes with the same 4‑month‑old girl, each time found not breathing with blood/foam around her nose and mouth, initially treated as medical events until the homicide probe connected them.
- Authorities disclosed additional behavioral red flags: Russell had worked at the daycare only three weeks, had a history of starting fires at a church camp, making nonsensical 911 calls and other erratic behavior toward children.
- Savage’s mayor and police chief made on‑camera statements calling the case unprecedented for the community and saying Russell “should never, ever be free again to harm another child.”
- Savage police have now made an arrest in connection with the September death of an infant boy at Rocking Horse Ranch Childcare.
- The investigation has focused on a specific employee linked to three medical incidents: two involving an infant girl who vomited a 'blood-like' substance and turned pale and lethargic, and the third being the fatal incident with the infant boy.
- The City of Savage scheduled a 1 p.m. press conference with the mayor, police chief, Scott County attorney and family representatives to outline charges and next steps.
- The FOX 9 report details the employee’s own account of each incident, including police having her recreate events with a doll, and highlights that state regulators suspended the license on grounds of 'imminent risk of harm.'
- A Savage Police search‑warrant affidavit focuses on a specific daycare employee tied to two prior medical incidents with an infant girl and to the infant boy who later died.
- In both prior incidents, the infant girl vomited with a "blood‑like" substance and showed distress; the same employee was the caregiver.
- The affidavit notes the employee re‑created events for investigators using a doll and has a history of 911 misdials and false reports.
- Preliminary autopsy findings for the infant boy show no physical injuries and no common poisons in toxicology; final cause of death pending.
- State officials have suspended Rocking Horse Ranch Childcare’s license, and police issued a precautionary advisory urging parents to closely monitor children.
- State inspection records show the Savage daycare had been cited for safety violations prior to the infant's death.
- The Star Tribune article relies on state inspection/licensing records as primary documentation (adds documentary sourcing beyond initial reporting).
- Article provides additional details about the facility's inspection history and the timing of cited violations relative to the September incident.