Witham-Jordan trial moved to Bath; jury selection Feb. 10, trial Feb. 17

A retrial for Tyler Witham‑Jordan, accused in the 2022 death of 3‑year‑old Makinzlee Handrahan, will be held at the Sagadahoc County Superior Court in Bath. Jury selection is set for Feb. 10, 2026, with the trial scheduled to begin Feb. 17, 2026, moving proceedings from Lincoln County after a mistrial in the earlier case.

The case centers on the death of Makinzlee, who was found unresponsive on Christmas morning 2022. Dispatchers say the child’s mother, Faith Lewis, called 911 around 7:30 a.m. and told dispatchers, “Oh my god, I think my daughter's dead.” Recordings from the scene include an audible voice later identified as Witham‑Jordan saying, “I'm f d” and “I'm finished.” Authorities have ruled the death a homicide, and Witham‑Jordan, 30, faces one count of depraved indifference murder. He pleaded not guilty in January.

The first trial, held in Lincoln County, introduced forensic and first responder testimony before ending in a mistrial. Technicians who scanned the Edgecomb apartment testified that investigators recovered a diaper with blood from a bathroom trash can, a broken hair brush with a large mound of hair attached, a damp pair of jeans with syringes and an empty pill bottle in the pockets, and a damp purple T‑shirt with blood stains. Police also recovered packages of Suboxone in a yellow box labeled with Witham‑Jordan’s name; Suboxone is a medication to treat opioid use disorder. Lewis testified that the hairbrush did not belong to Makinzlee.

The mistrial was declared after Assistant Attorney General Jen Ackerman displayed a photograph in court that prompted Lewis to begin sobbing and to cry out, “What did he do to my baby?” The judge declared a mistrial after the outburst. Courtroom officials and lawyers noted that jurors continued to hear Lewis’s cries during a break, raising concerns about the small, historic courthouse’s acoustics. Billings suggested attorneys discuss a possible solution for the poor acoustics, and defense counsel Dubé said it is hard to say whether the trial could be moved to a different courthouse. Dubé said he expects the new trial to start in early spring and added, “We’re really satisfied with the court process and we think this was a just decision.”

Prosecutors have maintained that Lewis is a victim, not a suspect, while defense attorneys have blamed Lewis and say text messages between Witham‑Jordan and Lewis “paint a different picture” of what happened. Court records cited in filings also reference a prior Department of Health and Human Services inquiry after a daycare reported scratch and bruises the previous October.

For Sagadahoc County residents, the Bath courthouse will be the locus for a case that has drawn strong emotions across nearby communities. Jury summonses, public seating and media presence may affect access and parking at the courthouse. The most immediate next step is jury selection on Feb. 10, followed by the trial opening Feb. 17; motions over venue and dismissal remain issues to watch as attorneys prepare their cases.