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

According to this report Miller has a $100,000 bond.

Justin Miller, who is charged in Mercedes' death, is being held in the Marshall County Jail. His bond was set at $100,000. His initial hearing is set for August 24 at 9 a.m.

Prosecutor’s office releases preliminary autopsy results for Mercedes Lain
Thanks! The court site just updated but still haven't added any bond info. What's this report filed?

08/23/2021 = Report Filed
MC PROBATION files: Pretrial Release Recommendation. Rhf
Filed By: Marshall County Probation

08/23/2021 = Hearing Scheduling Activity
Initial Hearing scheduled for 08/24/2021 at 9:00 AM.

08/24/2021 = Initial Hearing
Session: 08/24/2021 9:00 AM, Judicial Officer: Bowen, Robert O
 

While on one hand I wanted Miller (and parents) to spend his (their) life in prison, I was also hoping that the lesser of the two evil situations was true and that Mercedes' death was in fact due to negligence, that because he was so drugged out he was unaware that she got into something that led to her passing. Learning that her tiny body was brutalized and knowing the fear and pain she experienced in her last moments is too overwhelming. Time to upgrade the charges. Or just let him (them) out on bail and let them try to exist in society.
 
While on one hand I wanted Miller (and parents) to spend his (their) life in prison, I was also hoping that the lesser of the two evil situations was true and that Mercedes' death was in fact due to negligence, that because he was so drugged out he was unaware that she got into something that led to her passing. Learning that her tiny body was brutalized and knowing the fear and pain she experienced in her last moments is too overwhelming. Time to upgrade the charges. Or just let him (them) out on bail and let them try to exist in society.

Blunt force trauma is way more than negligent. :mad:
 
While on one hand I wanted Miller (and parents) to spend his (their) life in prison, I was also hoping that the lesser of the two evil situations was true and that Mercedes' death was in fact due to negligence, that because he was so drugged out he was unaware that she got into something that led to her passing. Learning that her tiny body was brutalized and knowing the fear and pain she experienced in her last moments is too overwhelming. Time to upgrade the charges. Or just let him (them) out on bail and let them try to exist in society.
The withdrawal symptoms for them must be pretty bad right about now. Oh wah. MOO
 
Thanks! The court site just updated but still haven't added any bond info. What's this report filed?

08/23/2021 = Report Filed
MC PROBATION files: Pretrial Release Recommendation. Rhf
Filed By: Marshall County Probation

08/23/2021 = Hearing Scheduling Activity
Initial Hearing scheduled for 08/24/2021 at 9:00 AM.

08/24/2021 = Initial Hearing
Session: 08/24/2021 9:00 AM, Judicial Officer: Bowen, Robert O

I believe it has to do with his bond.
 
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.
 
From today

TUESDAY UPDATE: During the initial hearing Tuesday morning for Justin Miller, he entered a preliminary plea of not guilty and was appointed a public defender. Prosecutor Chipman tells us there is a “split of opinion” on which county Miller should face charges in.

The question is, which location was Mercedes killed in? If she was killed in Mishawaka then that would be St. Joseph County. We are working to speak with the SJC prosecutor’s office about this. Stay with us on the air and online for updates.

The below is from the same link but reported earlier ( at the same time when blunt force trauma was reported).. BBM - does this indicate other external injuries or evidence of SA?

The Marshall County prosecutor's office says late today there were several anatomic findings, but they are not releasing what those findings were at this time.

However, the pathologist did label the cause of Mercedes’s death as blunt force injuries of the head and ruled it a homicide


Autopsy Results: Baby Mercedes Lain's death ruled homicide
 
I had blown up the picture from Justin Miller’s FB Profile prior to the release of the Autopsy results and I was quite sure that I saw bruising on her skull.

Sick and twisted. They deserve the Death Penalty. There is more to come and I really don’t want to hear it.

MOO
 
@FrostedGlass - probably might be a bit too soon to ask about Miller's next court hearing date?

If so - TIA!
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