GUILTY IN - Mercedes Lain, 11 mos, extreme danger Plymouth, 12 Aug 2021 *3 Arrests, includes parents*

[Knox]

During the hearing today Mercedes father said he was angry and told the judge that he and Mercedes mom shouldn’t be facing the same charges as Justin Miller.

However, Miller is facing one count of neglect of a dependent resulting in death. That is a much more serious level one felony and is a minimum 20-year prison sentence.

The prosecutor told us yesterday that could be upgraded further pending the autopsy results on little Mercedes.

Miller will be in court on Tuesday.

Mercedes parents will be back for a pre-trial conference next month.
Parents of Mercedes Lain plead not guilty

In so MANY other cases where a parent is not directly responsible for the death, there are no charges levied (Maleah Davis).

I've thought to myself, if we start charging these women with felony child endangerment with a mandatory sentence term of ten years or more- when their boyfriend kills their child. Maybe it wouldn't happen so often.

I'm grateful LE in this case arrested and charged them right away, no hesitation on their part.

 

[oviedo]

Do we know the FB/Instagrams of the arrested people yet?

 

[Filly]

His reaction is telling... Still thinking about himself. Not able to act appropriately even in a courtroom setting. Hasn't had any awakening as he sits in jail, comes off the drug high and learns his baby is gone forever. Still thinking he acted responsibly, not grasping his duty as a parent.

No, that's about right for a meth addict. They are immensely cocky individuals. JMO obviously, but any I've known were cocky, anti authority before they did drugs.

This guy cares about himself and his drugs.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Do we know the FB/Instagrams of the arrested people yet?

Kenneth Lain:
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Tiffany Lain:
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[LotusPawprint]

No, that's about right for a meth addict. They are immensely cocky individuals. JMO obviously, but any I've known were cocky, anti authority before they did drugs.

This guy cares about himself and his drugs.

I agree. It is telling, not surprising. He is just cementing what kind of person and parent he is.

 

[LotusPawprint]

Do we know the FB/Instagrams of the arrested people yet?

They each have multiple profiles. The father has something like 6 or 7. Mom 2 or 3. 'Babysitter' at least three. Probably kept forgetting their passwords when strung out on drugs.

 

[Tippy Lynn]

Do we know the FB/Instagrams of the arrested people yet?

Dad (1) Kenneth Lain | Facebook
Mom (1) Tiffany Lain | Facebook

 

[LotusPawprint]

Lain asked the judge why they were coming after him when he left his child with his cousin.
Mercedes Lain's parents arraigned on neglect charges

I hope this man never has access to children again in his lifetime, her too for that matter ...

I am imagining his inner dialogue
"What's the problem, your honor? He's my COUSIN. We do meth and synthetic marijuana at every family get together.'

 

[imstilla.grandma]

They each have multiple profiles. The father has something like 6 or 7. Mom 2 or 3. 'Babysitter' at least three. Probably kept forgetting their passwords when strung out on drugs.

I about fell out of my chair sleuthing Tiffany when a bunch of *advertiser censored* sites starting popping up. I didn’t see any for him.

Google:
"tiffany lain" "indiana" "facebook"
*of course it can’t be verified it is truly her, but someone with her name is sure getting after it.

 

[cvaldez1975]

<modsnip>


I would bet that many posters here do help children and families with kids who are in need or struggling in real life, and I'm not sure that these parents didn't have clean, sober, family and friends who would've been willing to care for Mercedes. But they chose to leave her with a fellow drug user.

im just hoping there wasnt a particular reason for that.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

“Before I was mayor, I was in law enforcement with the state police for 28 years, and I’ve never seen, in the cases I worked as a detective, the outpouring of help that we got here in Plymouth, and that’s truly appreciated,” Mayor of Plymouth Mark Senter said.

“It just breaks my heart that’s all I can say. It’s just so senseless,” said one member of the community.

“That little girl had to go through pain, badly. We wouldn’t know what the pain was to that little girl. She’s in God’s hand now and she’s not going to get hurt again,” another community member said.

“I was just devastated. It’s just so hard to believe that in our small little community that something like this could happen. Just devastated. My heart just hurts for everybody involved,” Knox resident Ramona Miller said.
Community members react to the death of 11-month-old Mercedes Lain

 

[cvaldez1975]

They each have multiple profiles. The father has something like 6 or 7. Mom 2 or 3. 'Babysitter' at least three. Probably kept forgetting their passwords when strung out on drugs.

they lose their burner phones or they get turned off, get new ones and cant access the old one.

 

[LotusPawprint]

"Reached by phone, Angie Owens, Coburn’s mother, sounded both disconsolate and infuriated about her granddaughter’s fate, saying that she refuses to “protect” Lain and Coburn even though they’re family.

“They are definitely not good parents,” Owens told The Daily Beast. “They didn’t need to have a child.”

“We tried everything in our power to get this baby taken away from them,” Owens continued. “We have called [child protective services] many times. There's nothing more that we could have done than what we did. We have gone beyond our power in doing what we could to help this baby.”

[...]

Owens said she holds Lain and Coburn responsible for Mercedes’ death “by giving the child to him,” meaning Miller, but, “As far as them being involved in the murder part, we don’t believe they were involved in that,” adding the caveat that murder charges have not been laid.

“We aren’t saying they were good parents, because they weren't,” Owens again emphasized. “We are grieving so bad throughout this time.”


Grandma Slams Own Daughter After Baby’s Mystery Death in Woods

 

[imstilla.grandma]

…
But although police say they don’t have any evidence that the mother and father were directly involved in their daughter’s death, the child’s extended family had recently been trying to convince authorities to take her from them for her own safety, her devastated grandmother told The Daily Beast.

<modsnip: WS policy does not allow donation links.>

Lain and Coburn are due back in court on Sept. 15.
Grandma Slams Own Daughter After Baby’s Mystery Death in Woods

Tiffany: Aug 6th
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eta:
They were appointed separate public defenders: June Bules for Coburn and Joseph Simanski for Lain, according to court documents. A pretrial conference is scheduled for September 15 in Marshall Superior Court 3, followed by a status conference on November 18.

Another suspect, Justin Miller, will make his initial appearance Tuesday morning at 9:00 in Marshall County Superior Court 1.
Mercedes Lain’s Parents Make Initial Court Appearance

 

[AgeofAquaruis]

"Reached by phone, Angie Owens, Coburn’s mother, sounded both disconsolate and infuriated about her granddaughter’s fate, saying that she refuses to “protect” Lain and Coburn even though they’re family.

“They are definitely not good parents,” Owens told The Daily Beast. “They didn’t need to have a child.”

“We tried everything in our power to get this baby taken away from them,” Owens continued. “We have called [child protective services] many times. There's nothing more that we could have done than what we did. We have gone beyond our power in doing what we could to help this baby.”

[...]

Owens said she holds Lain and Coburn responsible for Mercedes’ death “by giving the child to him,” meaning Miller, but, “As far as them being involved in the murder part, we don’t believe they were involved in that,” adding the caveat that murder charges have not been laid.

“We aren’t saying they were good parents, because they weren't,” Owens again emphasized. “We are grieving so bad throughout this time.”


Grandma Slams Own Daughter After Baby’s Mystery Death in Woods

SMH. Poor babe could have been saved. MOO

 

[claudicici]

There needs to be changes in law imo when it comes to grandparents rights we see it again and again and again where grandparents tried to intervene and safe these babies but they are just being ignored

 

[FrostedGlass]

Did we ever find out what led LE to the PC residence where they found JM?

 

[AgeofAquaruis]

I agree. It is telling, not surprising. He is just cementing what kind of person and parent he is.

He should have gotten a contempt of court charge added on. He's begging for it. MOO

 

[gitana1]

No, that's about right for a meth addict. They are immensely cocky individuals. JMO obviously, but any I've known were cocky, anti authority before they did drugs.

This guy cares about himself and his drugs.

Agreed. That’s typical of almost all addicts. They become supreme narcissists for some reason.

 

[gitana1]

There needs to be changes in law imo when it comes to grandparents rights we see it again and again and again where grandparents tried to intervene and safe these babies but they are just being ignored

Well what I notice is that they rarely actually do what they can to seek custody. For example, in my state it would be a guardianship petition. But instead they might do something like just call child protective services.