Trial date set for Young

A trial date has been set for a Portland woman who is facing charges related to her son’s death.

Jay Circuit Court Judge Brian Hutchison during a hearing Wednesday set a two-day jury trial for Nov. 11 and 12 for Jennifer F. Young, 34, who is facing a Level 1 felony charge of neglect of a dependent resulting in death.

She is also facing charges of possession of methamphetamine, a Level 5 felony, and possession of paraphernalia, a Class C misdemeanor.

Also Wednesday, a pretrial hearing for Ryan Markle, 39, for the same charges was set for July 29.

Young and Markle’s son, 3-month-old Hayden Markle, died March 6. An autopsy found the cause of death to be acute methamphetamine intoxication.

Jay Emergency Medical Service and Portland police were called March 6 to an upstairs apartment at 221 S. Meridian St., Portland, regarding a 3-month-old child who was not breathing. Hayden Markle was transported to IU Health Jay, where he was pronounced dead about an hour and a half later.

Indiana State Police, Indiana Department of Child Services, Jay County Coroner’s Office and Jay County Prosecutor’s Office were involved in the investigation in addition to Portland police. It resulted in the April 15 arrests of Young and Ryan Markle.

In Indiana, Level 1 felony charges carry a sentence of 20 to 40 years in prison and up to a $10,000 fine.