Theah Loudemia Russell, 18, allegedly confessed to “intentionally suffocating” two children at the Rocking Horse Ranch child care center in Savage, located about 20 miles south of the Twin Cities, authorities said in a news conference earlier this week.
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After she became a suspect, a three-month investigation revealed she had “a documented history of attention-seeking behavior” expressed through “nonsensical” 911 calls, fire-starting and other types of “erratic behavior towards other children,” Savage Police Chief Brady Juell told reporters Wednesday.
On the morning September 22, 2025 it was Russell herself who called police to report a young boy, later identified as 11-month-old Harvey Muklebust, was not breathing, the chief said.
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It was the second time she was found in that condition in three days and was thought to be a “medical episode.”
First responders dealt with the first incident by rushing the girl to the hospital. In the second episode, her parents took her for medical treatment themselves, Juell said.
Two hours after the infant’s second instance, Russell called 911 to report that the 11-month-old was not breathing.
Juell said Russell’s bizarre “behavior and actions at the scene immediately raised suspicion, drawing investigative focus to her as the primary person of interest.”
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Authorities from multiple agencies took part in the investigation.
When Russell was brought in for an interview with police, she allegedly confessed to “intentionally suffocating” Muklebust and the female child “in an attention-seeking act,” the police chief said.
The chief also said the “FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit played a huge part” in putting together the case, perhaps steering detectives to a known disorder that emerges in such cases.
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Children’s Minnesota hospital and clinics even features the syndrome on its website, stating:
In MBPS, an individual — usually a parent or caregiver — causes or fabricates symptoms in a child. The adult deliberately misleads others (particularly medical professionals), and may go as far as to actually cause symptoms in the child through poisoning, medication, or even suffocation. In most cases (85%), the mother is responsible for causing the illness or symptoms.
Usually, the cause of MBPS is a need for attention and sympathy from doctors, nurses, and other professionals. Some experts believe that it isn’t just the attention that’s gained from the “illness” of the child that drives this behavior, but also the satisfaction in deceiving individuals whom they consider to be more important and powerful than themselves.
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No charges have been filed against the Rocking Horse Ranch or its owner, according to one local news outlet. However, it remains shuttered after having its license suspended by the state, a decision it is appealing.
* Original Article:
https://www.breitbart.com/crime/2026/01/16/police-minnesota-childcare-worker-18-arrested-for-smothering-two-children-on-the-same-day-killing-one/
