Death of 11-month-old northern Indiana girl ruled homicide

PLYMOUTH, Ind. (AP/WISH) — The death of an 11-month-old northern Indiana girl found dead in a wooded area has been ruled a homicide.

Marshall County Prosecutor Nelson Chipman said Monday that Mercedes Lain of Plymouth died from blunt force injuries to the head. The baby’s autopsy was conducted Friday in Fort Wayne.

Thirty-seven-year-old Justin Miller of Hamlet is being held in the Marshall County Jail on a charge of neglect of a dependent resulting in death. He’s due in court Tuesday morning.

The girl’s body was found Wednesday evening in a densely wooded area of Starke County near the Marshall County line after Miller led officers to the site.

The girl’s parents, Kenneth Lain and Tiffany Coburn, are also charged with neglect. The FBI says the couple left the baby with Miller earlier this month.