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

[FrostedGlass]

I don't think this family is wealthy or they could have gotten the mother and child out of that motel and into a decent apartment. IMO

There is a FB page set up; I found it by searching 'help with funeral expenses for Mercedes Lain'. Donations are being asked for the grandmother and designated to be used only for the funeral expenses, lost wages due to the tragedy and sibling care. Donations can be made directly to their church.

Both parents are being escorted to the funeral and neither are eligible for pre-trial release; so it's not likely either of them will be getting their hands on donation money.

 

[Niner]

I don't believe they (parents) re getting bond - they just being let out for the funeral. Someone above mentioned them begin out on bond.

 

[LotusPawprint]

Mercedes' visitation and funeral are today.

One of the saddest sights I can think of is a tiny casket to hold the body of a child or baby. I am thinking of the life she will never have and everything that was taken away from her. She did not even get her first birthday.

I am not one to say 'so-and-so is in a better place'. But for this sweet little girl and the life she had and end of life she experienced, at least she is safe in that tiny casket and nobody can hurt her there.

 

[LotusPawprint]

I don't believe they (parents) re getting bond - they just being let out for the funeral. Someone above mentioned them begin out on bond.

Agreed. My understanding is they are being escorted / supervised by authorities (jail? Local law enforcement? I don't know how that works). TC's mother wrote in a post that the tax payers would have to foot the bill for this trip. She was not happy about that or the judge's decision to allow them to attend.

 

[twall]

Justin Miller has been charged with Murder in Starke County.

State of Indiana v. Justin Lee Miller
Case Number 75C01-2108-MR-000001
Court Starke Circuit Court
Type MR - Murder
Filed 08/30/2021
Status 08/30/2021 , Pending (active)
Reference
Prosecutor Case Management Number
75-DM2004020
Parties to the Case
Defendant Miller, Justin Lee
State Plaintiff State of Indiana
Charges
01 08/13/2021 35-42-1-1(1): Murder
Chronological Case Summary
08/30/2021
Case Opened as a New Filing

08/30/2021
Case Filed Electronically

08/30/2021
Appearance Filed
Appearance (Circuit)
For Party:
State of Indiana
File Stamp:
08/30/2021
08/30/2021
Notice of Exclusion of Confidential Information
ACR Notice Form (Circuit Court)
Filed By:
State of Indiana
File Stamp:
08/30/2021
08/30/2021
Information Filed
Information - Circuit
Filed By:
State of Indiana
File Stamp:
08/30/2021
08/30/2021
Information Filed
Habitual Criminal
Filed By:
State of Indiana
File Stamp:
08/30/2021
08/30/2021
Motion Filed
Special Prosecutor with candidate name MO.pdf
Filed By:
State of Indiana
File Stamp:
08/30/2021
08/30/2021
Probable Cause Affidavit Filed
Probable Cause Affidavit.pdf
Filed By:
State of Indiana
File Stamp:
08/30/2021
08/30/2021
Order Denying
Indiana has no Class X Felony
Judicial Officer:
Hall, Kim

Order Signed:
08/30/2021
08/30/2021
Order Denying
Motion for Appointment of Special Prosecutor Pursuant to I.C. 33-39-10-2(b)(3)
Judicial Officer:
Hall, Kim

Order Signed:
08/30/2021
08/30/2021
Amended Pleading Filed
Amended Information - Circuit
Filed By:
State of Indiana
File Stamp:
08/30/2021
08/30/2021
Motion Filed
Special Prosecutor with candidate name Revised Motion and Order.pdf
Filed By:
State of Indiana
File Stamp:
08/30/2021

 

[AgeofAquaruis]

Justin Miller has been charged with Murder in Starke County.

State of Indiana v. Justin Lee Miller
Case Number 75C01-2108-MR-000001
Court Starke Circuit Court
Type MR - Murder
Filed 08/30/2021
Status 08/30/2021 , Pending (active)
Reference
Prosecutor Case Management Number
75-DM2004020
Parties to the Case
Defendant Miller, Justin Lee
State Plaintiff State of Indiana
Charges
01 08/13/2021 35-42-1-1(1): Murder
Chronological Case Summary
08/30/2021
Case Opened as a New Filing

08/30/2021
Case Filed Electronically

08/30/2021
Appearance Filed
Appearance (Circuit)
For Party:
State of Indiana
File Stamp:
08/30/2021
08/30/2021
Notice of Exclusion of Confidential Information
ACR Notice Form (Circuit Court)
Filed By:
State of Indiana
File Stamp:
08/30/2021
08/30/2021
Information Filed
Information - Circuit
Filed By:
State of Indiana
File Stamp:
08/30/2021
08/30/2021
Information Filed
Habitual Criminal
Filed By:
State of Indiana
File Stamp:
08/30/2021
08/30/2021
Motion Filed
Special Prosecutor with candidate name MO.pdf
Filed By:
State of Indiana
File Stamp:
08/30/2021
08/30/2021
Probable Cause Affidavit Filed
Probable Cause Affidavit.pdf
Filed By:
State of Indiana
File Stamp:
08/30/2021
08/30/2021
Order Denying
Indiana has no Class X Felony
Judicial Officer:
Hall, Kim

Order Signed:
08/30/2021
08/30/2021
Order Denying
Motion for Appointment of Special Prosecutor Pursuant to I.C. 33-39-10-2(b)(3)
Judicial Officer:
Hall, Kim

Order Signed:
08/30/2021
08/30/2021
Amended Pleading Filed
Amended Information - Circuit
Filed By:
State of Indiana
File Stamp:
08/30/2021
08/30/2021
Motion Filed
Special Prosecutor with candidate name Revised Motion and Order.pdf
Filed By:
State of Indiana
File Stamp:
08/30/2021

This sweet child didn't stand a chance with her parental units. Is too much to hope for that they be sterilized,or any children they may have in the future be taken at birth. So that there are no repeats ever?

 

[FrostedGlass]

I wonder if they are going to keep the charges in Marshall County. Did he get mad at the ex-gf for kicking him out and then took it out on the baby?
(snip from the article)

Starke County prosecutors charged Justin Miller with murder Monday afternoon. Miller is also currently facing felony charges in Marshall County for child neglect causing death with court documents in that case saying he told police he woke up on Aug. 14 in Mishawaka to find Mercedes was dead. He then led investigators to the wooded area in Starke County where he buried the body.
Murder charges filed in death of Plymouth Indiana infant Mercedes Lain

 

[AgeofAquaruis]

I wonder if they are going to keep the charges in Marshall County. Did he get mad at the ex-gf for kicking him out and then took it out on the baby?
(snip from the article)

Starke County prosecutors charged Justin Miller with murder Monday afternoon. Miller is also currently facing felony charges in Marshall County for child neglect causing death with court documents in that case saying he told police he woke up on Aug. 14 in Mishawaka to find Mercedes was dead. He then led investigators to the wooded area in Starke County where he buried the body.
Murder charges filed in death of Plymouth Indiana nfant Mercedes Lain

Did he kill her at the gf"s house. Then get "kicked out'? If so how did the gf not know? That must have been real noisy, imo blunt force trauma, screaming crying baby. Definitely not library quiet. MOO

 

[FrostedGlass]

Did he kill her at the gf"s house. Then get "kicked out'? If so how did the gf not know? That must have been real noisy, imo blunt force trauma, screaming crying baby. Definitely not library quiet. MOO

Since they have brought charges in Starke Co, I assume he did not kill the baby in Mishawaka; that's in St. Joseph Co. I wonder where he actually lived?

 

[AgeofAquaruis]

Since they have brought charges in Starke Co, I assume he did not kill the baby in Mishawaka; that's in St. Joseph Co. I wonder where he actually lived?

Starke County is where She was found He said he woke up at his gf's house and she was dead. That's why I ask how she didn't know. With blunt force trauma, I'm sure that that made some horrific noise that one could not sleep through. MOO

 

[Knox]

MARSHALL COUNTY, Ind. – Tiffany Coburn and Kenneth Lain are allowed to leave jail for a private funeral service for Mercedes Lain on Friday, the Marshall County Prosecutor’s Office reported.

Judge allows Tiffany Coburn and Kenneth Lain to leave jail for Mercedes Lain's funeral

Real life is limiting my time, just popping in to say - I'm not sure how I feel about ^ this. Mercedes wasn't a priority to them when she was alive

Has COD been determined?

 

[Hope32]

Update on JM he currently has 3 different charges for the weekend this happened and has been officially charged with murder (sorry if been mentioned before, but noticed he has some new ones):
- Starke County 8/30/21:
35-42-1-1(1): Murder
- Kosciusko County 8/26/21 current out Warrant:
35-43-4-2(a)/F6: Auto Theft -Theft of entire automobile
35-43-4-2(a)/MA: Theft
35-43-4-2(a)/F6: Theft Def. has a prior conviction for either theft or conversion
- Marshall County 8/14/2021:
35-46-1-4(a)(1)/F1: Neglect of a Dependent Resulting in Death but resulting in death AND def. is at fault

mycase.in.gov

Will be interesting to see if the Neglect charge is still going to be pursued or if they will combine them or if it then becomes double jeopardy.

 

[AmandaReckonwith]

Has COD been determined?

Yes.

An autopsy report ruled Mercedes death to be a homicide and the manner of death to be blunt force trauma to the head,
according to Marshall County Prosecutor Nelson Chipman.

Murder charges filed in death of Plymouth Indiana infant Mercedes Lain

 

[FrostedGlass]

Snip from the link below, Posted: Aug 31, 2021 12:50 PM

Marshall County Prosecutor Nelson Chipman said Monday that officials are waiting for the “legal dust to settle” to work out how the case will be prosecuted since the alleged crime covers three separate counties.

Indiana man charged with murder in 11-month-old girl’s death

 

[AgeofAquaruis]

Snip from the link below, Posted: Aug 31, 2021 12:50 PM

Marshall County Prosecutor Nelson Chipman said Monday that officials are waiting for the “legal dust to settle” to work out how the case will be prosecuted since the alleged crime covers three separate counties.

Indiana man charged with murder in 11-month-old girl’s death

So sad. Why wait for the "legal dust to settle"? Since this case covers separate counties why not hand it over to the State Prosecutor,and cover them all together? One and done. Poor Mercedes even in death she's put on the back burner to wait for the right thing to be done. SMH.

 

[Krimoney]

Could the injury have happened prior to the "babysitter" getting custody of the baby? Something still feels off to me. Like the parents were complicit in the murder. I mean he's telling them he dropped the baby with some unknown woman at the no-tell but yet the parents were being elusive and not working with the cops? Being an addict myself, and in my active addiction I battled the meth and opiate demons, yet I would never .... You said you dropped my kid off with some unknown woman I don't give a -*- how high I was I'm calling the cops and we're finding my baby. Idk, I think we're going to hear more horrors. Yes, when in active addiction you will do some pretty low life things but this.... Time will tell.

 

[LotusPawprint]

So sad. Why wait for the "legal dust to settle"? Since this case covers separate counties why not hand it over to the State Prosecutor,and cover them all together? One and done. Poor Mercedes even in death she's put on the back burner to wait for the right thing to be done. SMH.

This doesn't concern me too much if they are just trying to nail down the timeline with what happened where to make the case solid for prosecution. As long as it doesn't impact the three remaining in jail, it's fine.

 

[LotusPawprint]

Could the injury have happened prior to the "babysitter" getting custody of the baby? Something still feels off to me. Like the parents were complicit in the murder. I mean he's telling them he dropped the baby with some unknown woman at the no-tell but yet the parents were being elusive and not working with the cops? Being an addict myself, and in my active addiction I battled the meth and opiate demons, yet I would never .... You said you dropped my kid off with some unknown woman I don't give a -*- how high I was I'm calling the cops and we're finding my baby. Idk, I think we're going to hear more horrors. Yes, when in active addiction you will do some pretty low life things but this.... Time will tell.

It's hard to sort out what's truly off (as in who is lying) when the entire situation is off. They all were treating her like a hot potato, tossing her around (metaphorically and who knows maybe physically) and going from hotel to friend's home to girlfriend's home to dump site. Anything is possible with these three, but I think investigators have evidence that she was killed when she was with JLM and by him. During the press conference, he said she was wrapped up... And then stopped himself and said 'that wasn't in the affidavit'. Maybe wrapped in something from one of the places he had her. Also it would make sense to me if they have the item that caused her injuries, because otherwise, he and his attorneys could argue that Mercedes tripped, fell or hit her head .. something to mitigate his involvement.

 

[LotusPawprint]

Could the injury have happened prior to the "babysitter" getting custody of the baby? Something still feels off to me. Like the parents were complicit in the murder. I mean he's telling them he dropped the baby with some unknown woman at the no-tell but yet the parents were being elusive and not working with the cops? Being an addict myself, and in my active addiction I battled the meth and opiate demons, yet I would never .... You said you dropped my kid off with some unknown woman I don't give a -*- how high I was I'm calling the cops and we're finding my baby. Idk, I think we're going to hear more horrors. Yes, when in active addiction you will do some pretty low life things but this.... Time will tell.

I don't know if it is addiction alone that caused them to make their decisions or if they were irresponsible, careless people anyway. Remember, they have other children (some together and I believe each has one of their own) and don't have custom of any of them. Father lost custody of his oldest after trading her for drugs.. Letting an adult man move into their family home and impregnate her, more than one testified that he was well aware of what was happening.

These aren't people who, whether due to addiction or due to personality defects , would drop their drugs and pull themselves out of their high out of concern when getting phone calls from authorities informing them their baby was missing.

 

[Knox]

Could the injury have happened prior to the "babysitter" getting custody of the baby? Something still feels off to me. Like the parents were complicit in the murder. I mean he's telling them he dropped the baby with some unknown woman at the no-tell but yet the parents were being elusive and not working with the cops? Being an addict myself, and in my active addiction I battled the meth and opiate demons, yet I would never .... You said you dropped my kid off with some unknown woman I don't give a -*- how high I was I'm calling the cops and we're finding my baby. Idk, I think we're going to hear more horrors. Yes, when in active addiction you will do some pretty low life things but this.... Time will tell.

Something feels off IMO, because none the adults involved can tell the truth so the stories make no sense. Are their drug addled minds even capable of remembering? The parents have a long history of abuse and neglect, I'm sick that Mercedes was left in their care.

Like in the AJ Freund case, I hope CPS case records are examined and if warranted charges are filed.
Family Members Tried to Have 11-Month-Old Mercedes Lain Removed From Parents’ Care Before Baby Found Dead in Woods