Maine Man Found Guilty of Christmas Day Killing of Toddler

Over three years after the tragic day when 3-year-old Makinzlee Handrahan lost her life, a man has been found guilty of her murder.

According to an article on the WABI website, the Maine Attorney General’s Office has confirmed that a jury has found Tyler Witham-Jordan guilty in the death of a Handrahan.

Witham-Jordan, of Edgecomb, was charged with murder in the death of Makinzlee Handrahan on Christmas Day in 2022.  Prosecutors said he was the boyfriend of the child’s mother and was going through opioid withdrawal that morning, becoming angry with the children in the home.

Investigators told the jury the physical evidence pointed directly to Witham-Jordan.  His DNA was found inside the waistband of the child’s bloody diaper and under her fingernails.  A broken hairbrush with large clumps of the girl’s hair in the bristles was also presented as part of the case.  He was arrested in October 2023 and charged with depraved indifference murder.

The defense argued there was no proof tying him to the child’s injuries and claimed the girl’s mother, Faith Lewis, was responsible.

This was the second time Witham-Jordan stood trial for the crime.  His first trial ended in a mistrial in December 2024 after an emotional outburst from Lewis on the witness stand led the judge to halt proceedings.

That first trial was held in Lincoln County.  The second trial was moved to Sagadahoc County so prosecutors could seat a new jury.

He will be sentenced at a later date.