Investigators say the former day care worker confessed; prosecutors are preparing charges.
SAVAGE, Minn. — An 18-year-old former employee of Rocking Horse Ranch child care was arrested Wednesday in connection with the Sept. 22, 2025 death of 11-month-old Harvey Muklebust, authorities said, capping a three-month investigation that focused on a series of medical emergencies inside the Savage day care.
The case matters now because investigators say they found a pattern linking the same worker to three separate incidents at the facility, including the infant’s death and two earlier episodes involving another child. Police said the teen confessed to suffocating both children; prosecutors said formal charges are expected soon. The death last fall led Minnesota regulators to immediately suspend the center’s license, and parents in the community have awaited answers as detectives reviewed 911 calls, staff statements and search-warrant records.
Police Chief Brady Juell said the investigation began after a 911 call at about midday Sept. 22 reporting that an infant was not breathing. The boy, identified by relatives as Harvey Muklebust, was pronounced dead days before his first birthday. Search warrants later described the death as suspicious, noting the child had no known health issues and that staff had been told to watch others for unusual symptoms. “Based on the totality of the evidence in this three-month investigation, we have probable cause to believe Theah Loudemia Russell intentionally suffocated these children on three occasions to seek attention,” Juell said. He added that Russell had worked at the center only about three weeks at the time.
Juell said detectives reviewed internal records, interviewed staff and families, and analyzed medical information from Hennepin County. According to Juell, investigators tied Russell to all three events by time and contact, saying she was the last caretaker with each child. The chief said the teen showed “attention-seeking behavior” in other contexts, including false 911 calls and erratic conduct toward children. He said Russell confessed to the killing of Muklebust and to two attempts to suffocate another child that survived. Scott County Attorney Ron Hocevar said his office is preparing charges, including second-degree murder in the infant’s death and attempted murder in the earlier incidents. Russell is being held at the Scott County Jail pending a first appearance.
The day care’s license was suspended by the Minnesota Department of Children, Youth and Families the week of the death. City officials said the Savage Police Department requested help from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and issued community notices as the investigation widened. Public filings in November detailed investigators’ focus on a previous medical call at the center where a child reportedly spit up a substance that looked like blood. Those filings said detectives were cross-checking staffing logs, phone records and surveillance, and comparing statements from the same core group of employees who handled the children on those dates.
Prosecutors said charging paperwork could be filed as soon as Thursday in Scott County District Court. A judge would then set bail and a timetable for future hearings. If second-degree murder is filed, the case would proceed through an omnibus hearing and potential trial unless a plea is reached. Detectives said they will continue to gather evidence, including any additional medical opinions from the county medical examiner, and will contact families if new information emerges. Officials said there is no broader public-safety threat tied to the facility, which remains closed under the suspension.
At a news briefing, Harvey’s grandmother, Julie Muklebust, spoke on behalf of the family. “Harvey was such a blessing to our family, and his death has left a tremendous hole in our hearts,” she said, describing small reminders at home that the family is not ready to remove. Neighbors left flowers near the shuttered day care in the days after the death, and several parents who once used the facility said they have struggled to find openings elsewhere. A former staff member, who declined to be named, said the center had a waitlist before the license action and that families often relied on it because of its location near two busy commuter routes.
As of Wednesday night, Russell remained jailed without formal charges while prosecutors finalized their filings. Officials said they expect to release charging documents with more detail on Thursday, including the timeline, alleged methods and counts. Further briefings are likely after the first court appearance in Shakopee.
Author note: Last updated January 15, 2026.