A new trial began Tuesday for a man accused of killing his girlfriend’s 3-year-old daughter in Edgecomb.
Tyler Witham-Jordan is charged with depraved indifference murder for the death of Makinzlee Handrahan.
On Christmas morning in 2022, Handrahan’s mother, Faith Lewis, called 911 around 7:30 a.m. after finding her daughter cold, stiff, bruised and not breathing.
Dispatchers heard the girl’s mother say, “Oh my god, I think my daughter’s dead.”
Her boyfriend, later identified as Witham-Jordan, could be heard saying, “I’m f——d” and “I’m finished.”
First responders said they found bruises all over the little girl’s body.
The medical examiner ruled her cause of death blunt force trauma and said she had internal injuries.
According to court documents, the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office said there was a Department of Health and Human Services investigation in October 2022 after Handrahan’s day care reported she had a scratch and bruises, which her mother and Witham-Jordan said were caused by a cat scratch and falling on the stairs. Investigators said there was also purple swelling under her eye at the time.
Police said Witham-Jordan was still living with Handrahan and her mother months later when she was found dead on Christmas.
Witham-Jordan’s first trial began in December 2024.
During the trial, the state claimed Witham-Jordan had been agitated that the child had been sick around the holiday and was looking to get high.
“All 27 pounds of her was killed, quietly and discreetly. No one heard her die,” state prosecutor Lia Bogue said. “He wanted to get together with his connection on Christmas Eve because he needed more drugs.”
Both sides focused on early morning texts between Witham-Jordan and Lewis about checking on her, because she had been in bed for hours.
Defense attorney Jim Howaniec said the state didn’t have evidence that Witham-Jordan committed the crime.
Attorneys gave theories about DNA evidence at the scene, including on a comb with a “huge” clump of the child’s hair found in the bathroom. The defense accused Lewis of committing the murder instead.
However, Witham-Jordan’s first trial ended in a mistrial after Handrahan’s mother was shown her daughter’s battered body and cried out at Witham-Jordan, “What did you do to my baby?” For that reason, the defense asked for a mistrial, and the judge granted it.
Witham-Jordan’s second trial began at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday.
