A Fort Dodge man accused of assisting with drowning his newborn infant shortly after his partner gave birth in a downtown apartment will see his trial moved out of central Iowa.

Brandon David Thoma, 31, is charged with first-degree murder, a Class A felony, and abuse of a corpse, a Class C felony.

Thoma was arrested and charged last December following the investigation into a missing and possibly deceased infant. Court documents say that sometime around Nov. 16, 2022, Thoma’s girlfriend, 24-year-old Taylor Kay Blaha, gave birth to a baby girl inside the bathroom of the apartment she shared with Thoma at 927 Central Ave.

Blaha allegedly told investigators that Thoma was in the adjacent bedroom during the birth, but after the birth helped Blaha move from the toilet to the bathtub. A short while later, court documents say, the couple held the infant under the water in the bathtub, drowning and ultimately killing her. In the early morning hours of Nov. 17, Thoma allegedly left the apartment building with the baby’s body inside a backpack to dispose of the remains.

Following an investigation, the pair were arrested and charged on Dec. 7, 2022. Blaha is also charged with first-degree murder.

On Tuesday, District Court Judge Kurt Stoebe granted Thoma’s motion for a change of venue. The prosecution and the defense mutually agreed that Scott County would be a suitable venue for the trial and Stoebe agreed. He said court administration would look into whether Scott County had courtroom availability and when a trial could be scheduled.

Blaha’s trial is currently scheduled for September in Webster County.