16-year-old father, who claimed he gave his newborn daughter to a friend to put her up for adoption but actually shot the girl in the head, is set to go on trial
Wisconsin – In a harrowing case that has left residents in Wisconsin stunned and heartbroken, a father, identified as L. Kruckenberg-Anderson, who originally claimed he gave his newborn daughter away for adoption, is now preparing to stand trial for her murder. Kruckenberg-Anderson, now 21, was just 16 years old when authorities say he shot his days-old daughter twice in the head and left her body in the woods, covered in snow.
Kruckenberg-Anderson is charged with first-degree intentional homicide and hiding the corpse of a child. Prosecutors allege that what began as a supposed plan to put the baby up for adoption ended in a premeditated and violent act that took the life of a newborn girl. Court documents paint a disturbing picture of changing stories and cruel deception. According to the District Attorney’s Office, the teen initially told investigators that he had given the infant to a friend named “Tyler” whom he met through Snapchat. He claimed this man was going to take the baby to an adoption agency and even provided a detailed description of the person and the vehicle he was allegedly driving. He said he paid Tyler $60 for the service. But when investigators pressed further, his story unraveled.
Authorities were first alerted to the situation when a concerned father called authorities on January 9, 2021, saying his teenage daughter had given birth to a baby girl on January 5 in a bathtub at their residence and that the child had not been seen since. When investigators questioned the baby’s mother, she reportedly said that she and Kruckenberg-Anderson had discussed how they couldn’t keep the baby and agreed to give her up. But what really happened was far more tragic.
Kruckenberg-Anderson later admitted to taking the newborn baby into the woods. He told police that he placed the infant in the woods, covered her with snow, and left her there. At the time, he said he believed she would die from exposure. As he walked away, he could still hear her crying, which caused him to drop to his knees and cry. When he finally led investigators to the scene, Harper’s body was recovered by Wisconsin State Crime Lab technicians. There, they discovered more than snow—two bullet casings were recovered near her body. An autopsy confirmed the baby had been shot twice in the head and that she was still alive when the bullets were fired.
Under questioning, Kruckenberg-Anderson admitted the horrifying truth: after leaving her in the snow, he returned with a gun and shot her to end her life. He later gave the weapon to another juvenile, who turned it in to authorities. Forensic analysis matched the firearm to the bullets found at the scene. Kruckenberg-Anderson is being tried as an adult due to the severity of the crime. His trial is scheduled to begin on October 27, where he recently appeared for a final pretrial hearing. He remains held on a $1 million cash bond. The child’s mother has not been charged with any crime.
The case has drawn national attention not only for the age of the defendant but also for the level of calculated violence involved. The state is pursuing the maximum penalty, and if convicted, Kruckenberg-Anderson could face life in prison. In a case where a newborn’s life ended before it ever truly began, the courtroom will now decide whether her father, who claimed he was helping her find a future, instead robbed her of it in the most violent way imaginable.
