Tyler Witham-Jordan (left) huddles with his attorney, James Howaniec, of Lewiston, as he waits for his arraignment hearing to begin in Lincoln County Superior Court on Thursday, Jan. 11. (Sherwood Olin photo)
More than a year after paramedics removed 3-year-old Makinzlee Handrahan’s body from her Edgecomb home, the man investigators believe is responsible for her death was formally charged with her murder.
Tyler Witham-Jordan, 29, of Edgecomb and Livermore, was arraigned on a charge of depraved indifference murder during a brief appearance in Lincoln County Superior Court on Thursday, Jan. 11. Witham-Jordan entered a not-guilty plea when prompted by Justice Daniel Billings. The entire hearing lasted roughly two minutes.
When asked, defense attorneys James Howaniec and Jesse Archer said they had no issues to raise in open court at this time. State Assistant Attorney General Jennifer Ackerman stated child homicide cases are a priority.
“I do want to just put that on the record, that the state has brought that to the court’s attention,” Ackerman said. “The court has acknowledged that and we all, I think, agreed and make this a priority on the docket.”
Witham-Jordan has been in custody since his arrest Oct. 6, 2023, following a state police investigation into Handrahan’s death. He is being held at Two Bridges Regional Jail in Wiscasset on $250,000 cash bail.
Law enforcement and emergency medical services responded to Handrahan’s home off Route 1 in Edgecomb around 7:37 a.m. on Dec. 25, 2022 after the Handrahan was discovered unresponsive in her bed.
Witham-Jordan shared the residence with Handrahan’s mother, with whom he was in a romantic relationship, and the mother’s three pre-teen children, including Handrahan.
According to a 33-page affidavit filed by Maine State Police Detective James Moore, by the time law enforcement arrived on the scene, emergency medical service responders had already removed Handrahan and transported her to LincolnHealth’s Miles Campus in Damariscotta.
According to Moore’s affidavit, EMS responders told investigators they did not begin lifesaving care on the scene as it was obvious “the patient had been down for a while.”
During an autopsy Dec. 26, 2022, Maine Deputy Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Liam Funte identified extensive bruising on Handrahan’s body, abrasions on her face, and internal bleeding in her skull and abdomen. Funte subsequently determined the cause of death was “homicide caused by nonaccidental blunt force trauma.”
According to Moore’s affidavit, Funte reported the injuries to Handrahan’s head and abdomen were both significant enough to cause the child’s death, independently of each other.
Interviewed by investigators Dec. 27, 2022, Funte said the injuries could all be from one acute incident Dec. 24 and could not have been inflicted by a child, speculating a child would not be strong enough to cause such damage.
Witham-Jordan does not currently have another court appearance currently scheduled, pending pre-trial motions.
According to Maine law, a murder conviction carries a mandatory sentence of 25 years to life in prison.
