Second trial opens for Bath man charged in toddler's 2022 death

Jury selection and opening statements began today in Sagadahoc County Superior Court in Bath as the second trial opened for Tyler Witham-Jordan, 31, who faces a charge of depraved-indifference murder in the 2022 death of 3-year-old Makinzlee Handrahan. The proceedings in Bath drew courtroom attention as lawyers and court staff began the retrial process.

Prosecutors have charged Witham-Jordan with depraved-indifference murder for the death of Makinzlee Handrahan, a toddler who died in 2022. The charge carries significant legal consequences under Maine criminal law and marks the most serious allegation the defendant faces in Sagadahoc County Superior Court.

Jury selection took place inside the Sagadahoc County Superior Court courtroom in Bath, where potential jurors were questioned before attorneys delivered opening statements for the retrial. Courtroom observers noted that the process of assembling an impartial jury was central to the morning proceedings as the case resumed four years after Makinzlee Handrahan’s death in 2022.

This is the second criminal trial for Witham-Jordan in connection with the 2022 case. The retrial returned to Bath’s Sagadahoc County Superior Court this month, renewing a legal process that began after the events surrounding Makinzlee Handrahan’s death and the initial prosecution steps taken in the county.

The case remains a high-profile matter within Sagadahoc County because it involves the death of a 3-year-old child and a depraved-indifference murder charge against a 31-year-old defendant. Residents and local court-watchers are likely to follow the retrial as jurors, lawyers, and the court consider testimony and evidence tied to the 2022 incident.

Court officials held the retrial proceedings at the Sagadahoc County Superior Court in Bath today, and the case will continue through the legal calendar as jurors are seated and the trial record develops. The outcome of the retrial will determine how the county’s criminal justice system resolves the charges against Tyler Witham-Jordan in the death of Makinzlee Handrahan.