Tuesday, August 24th:
*Arraignment Hearing (@ 9am CT) – IN – Mercedes Lain (11 mos.) (last seen Aug. 14, 2021, reported missing Aug. 15, 2021, Silver Alert on Aug. 16, 2021, found deceased on Aug. 18, 2021 in Starke County, Miller led LE to scene) - for *Justin Lee Miller (37) arrested (8/16/21) & charged (8/19/21) with felony neglect of a dependent resulting in death. Bond $100K.
*Tiffany Jo Coburn (32) “mom” & Kenneth Robert Lain (41) “father” both arrested (8/16/21), charged (8/19/21) & arraigned (8/20/21) with felony neglect of a dependent. Both plead not guilty. $15K bond each.
Mercedes Lain was last seen at 12:30am on Saturday, August 14, 2021, in Mishawaka, Indiana. Per Miller: Mercedes' parents dropped her off with family friend, Justin Miller, so they could have a break for the weekend. Miller was supposed to bring her back on Sunday but when her parents got a hold of him he said he dropped the baby girl off with a woman who he had seen before but didn’t know. When Miller was interviewed by police his recollection of the events changed several times. He initially told police that he stayed at a friend's house in Koontz Lake, but then changed his story saying he was with his girlfriend who lives in Mishawaka. He told them that when he went to drop the baby off at the motel, the parents weren’t there, so he left her with a woman who was staying in their room because he had an appointment to go to. He claims he communicated with the parents & admitted to police that he was using synthetic marijuana.
On Wednesday, 8/18/21, Miller told police that he was at a residence in Mishawaka “on or about August 14” & woke up to find Mercedes had died. He then told investigators he disposed of her body at a Starke County property located at 1025 E. & 50 N. He eventually led officers to the scene, where they found the girl’s remains. COD blunt force injuries of the head.
8/20/21 Update: Lain & Coburn made an initial arraignment hearing on Friday. Both plead not guilty & assigned a public defender. Next pretrial hearing on 9/15/21 & status conference hearing on 11/18/21. Miller has arraignment hearing on 8/24/21.