Daycare worker indicted for first-degree murder in Savage infant death
A Scott County grand jury has indicted former Rocking Horse Ranch daycare employee Theah Russell, 19, on one count of premeditated first-degree murder, one count of first-degree murder while committing child abuse, and two counts of first-degree assault in the September 2025 death of 11‑month‑old Harvey Muklebust at the Savage center. Russell had previously faced a second-degree murder charge, but prosecutors now allege she intentionally choked Harvey because he was crying in his crib, and that she similarly choked a 5‑month‑old girl at the same daycare days earlier, causing multiple life‑threatening episodes that doctors flagged as suspicious. Court records say the infant girl repeatedly arrived healthy and then suffered serious medical incidents only while in Russell’s care, with a child‑abuse specialist concluding abuse was likely. Russell remains jailed on $5 million bail and is scheduled to appear in court again May 22. Harvey’s parents are simultaneously lobbying for “Harvey’s Law,” a stalled bill that would mandate surveillance cameras in licensed child‑care centers statewide, a change that would directly affect metro daycare operations and how easily abuse inside infant rooms can be proved or disproved.
📌 Key Facts
- A Scott County grand jury indicted 19‑year‑old daycare worker Theah Russell on charges including premeditated first-degree murder and first-degree murder while committing child abuse.
- Russell is accused of choking 11‑month‑old Harvey Muklebust to death on Sept. 22, 2025 at Rocking Horse Ranch daycare in Savage, and of choking a 5‑month‑old girl at the same center days earlier.
- The second infant suffered multiple medical emergencies at the daycare, was initially diagnosed with a BRUE, and a child‑abuse specialist later raised alarms about likely abuse tied to Russell’s care.
- Russell allegedly admitted in an interview that she choked both infants when they cried; she is being held on $5 million bail with her next court date set for May 22, 2026.
- Harvey’s parents are pushing “Harvey’s Law,” legislation that would require surveillance cameras in licensed child‑care centers, though the bill is currently stalled in committee at the Legislature.
📊 Relevant Data
Abuse and neglect reports at Minnesota daycares nearly doubled between 2022 and 2023, from 57 to 100.
Abuse and neglect reports at Minnesota daycares trending upward, records reveal — FOX 9
In 2023, of people who perpetrated childhood maltreatment in the US, 47% were White, and more than three-quarters (76%) were parents to the victim(s).
Characteristics of perpetrators of child maltreatment — Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
Men make up only a small proportion of childcare workers but are responsible for the majority of child sexual abuse in childcare settings.
Childcare sexual abuse is mostly committed by men. Failing to recognise that puts children at risk — The Conversation
Harvey's Law stalled in the Minnesota Senate due to concerns about associated costs and privacy.
Proposed 'Harvey's Law' aims to protect children from abuse in daycares — KARE 11
Increases in child abuse in Kentucky child care centers are linked to low wages, stressed staff, and staff-to-child ratios.
Abuse increase in Kentucky child care centers linked to low wages, stressed staff — Kentucky Lantern
Child care educators do not express a strong opinion on whether CCTV cameras prevent violence and child abuse by caregivers.
📰 Source Timeline (1)
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