A Minnesota lawmaker has proposed “Harvey’s Law,” a bill that would require surveillance cameras in infant and toddler rooms at day cares receiving state funding, following the death of an 11-month-old boy at a Savage facility last year.
The measure, announced at a news conference at the State Capitol, is named for Harvey Muklebust, who was killed last September at Rocking Horse Ranch day care. It would mandate closed-circuit cameras in rooms for children under three years old at centers funded through programs like the Child Care Assistance Program or Early Learning Scholarships, with footage retained for at least 28 days.
State Rep. Nolan West, R-Blaine, is sponsoring the bill and said the legislation is meant to prevent future abuse. West said his own daughter was abused at a Blaine day care center where cameras captured the incidents, leading to criminal charges against two workers.
“The idea that it wouldn’t be caught — that the perpetrators could get away with something — is hard to stomach,” West said. He added that without cameras, abusers might face no greater penalty than losing their jobs.
Rep. Nolan West is proposing Harvey’s Law after the tragic death of an 11-month-old boy at a Savage day care last fall.
The bill would require cameras in infant and toddler rooms at state-funded day cares. pic.twitter.com/gIrAIEecS2
— MN House Republicans (@mnhousegop) March 4, 2026
Death of Harvey Muklebust
The history behind Harvey’s Law traces to the events at Rocking Horse Ranch.
On Sept. 19, 2025, a four-month-old girl was taken to the hospital after being found briefly not breathing, with blood and foam near her mouth. At the time, authorities believed it was a medical episode and did not suspect foul play.
When the parents brought the infant back to the day care on Sept. 22, she was again found unresponsive and not breathing a short time later, with blood and foam again around her nose and mouth.
Then, about two hours later that morning, first responders found 11-month-old Harvey Muklebust unresponsive in his crib. Lifesaving efforts failed, and he was pronounced dead at a hospital.
Day care worker arrested for murder
Nearly four months later, Savage Police Department held a news conference announcing that day care worker Theah Russell, 18, had been arrested.
“Theah Russell has confessed to the attempted murder of our first victim on two occasions and to the murder of Harvey Muklebust,” said Savage Police Chief Brady Juell.
Russell had been hired by the day care just three weeks earlier. Juell said she confessed to intentionally suffocating Harvey and attempting to suffocate another child as an “attention-seeking act.”
Juell said Russell quickly became the focus of investigators as they began piecing together what happened at the day care.
“A clear pattern emerged. Theah Russell was a common denominator in each of these incidents. She had last contact with each of the affected children immediately prior to these events. Notably, she had only been employed with the day care for three weeks at that time,” Juell stated.
Investigators then conducted an “exhaustive review of Theah’s background” where they uncovered a pattern of troubling behavior.
“This revealed a documented history of attention-seeking behavior, including her making multiple 911 calls, reporting nonsensical incidents, and simply hanging up,” he said. “Also learned were past incidents involving starting fires at a church camp and erratic behavior toward other children.”
Russell is being held in the Scott County Jail and faces charges including second-degree murder, first-degree assault and third-degree assault.
Harvey’s mother calls for accountability
Harvey’s mother, Catherine Muklebust, delivered an emotional statement at the “Harvey’s Law” press conference, describing the events surrounding her son’s death and urging lawmakers to require surveillance cameras in day care facilities.
“Our son, Harvey Gene Muklebust, was five days short of his first birthday when he was murdered at day care,” she said. “On Friday, Sept. 19, 911 was called to Rocking Horse Ranch because an infant was found not breathing. This was the first attempt at murdering a child. Luckily, that child survived.”
She said cameras could have revealed what happened during the earlier incidents and prevented further harm.
“Had cameras been present, we would have known the terror of what actually happened that day, and would have prevented any future attempts on a child’s life,” she said. “The parents whose children attended this day care were not notified that emergency services were called.”
Muklebust described what happened the day Harvey died.
“On Monday, Sept. 22, the second attempt at murdering a child occurred. The infant was the same victim as Friday’s incident. Miraculously, the child survived again, and the parents were able to bring their baby home,” she said.
But then Muklebust said she received the call that changed her family’s life.
“Only a couple of hours later, I received a phone call no one should ever have to answer. Our perfectly healthy, beautiful son, Harvey, was not breathing,” she said. “I raced to the day care.”
She said she believes her son’s death could have been prevented.
“Our beautiful baby boy, the happiest, smiliest, laughing little light in every room was murdered,” Muklebust said. “Harvey’s death was completely avoidable if cameras were installed. The truth would have been revealed after the first attempted murder, and that employee could have been terminated and not allowed to ever work with children again. We lost our sunshine.”
Jenna Gloeb
Jenna Gloeb is an Edward R. Murrow Award-winning journalist, media producer, public speaker, and screenwriter. Most recently, she worked as a reporter and on-air host for CCX Media. Jenna is a Minnesota native and resides in the Twin Cities with her husband, son, daughter, and two dogs.
