Hearing set in Young case

A change of plea hearing has been scheduled for a Portland woman who faces charges relating to the death of her son.

Jay Circuit Court last week scheduled a change of plea hearing for May 17 for Jennifer F. Young, who is charged with a Level 1 felony for neglect of a dependent resulting in death.

Hayden Markle, the 3-month-old son of Ryan Markle and Young, died March 6, 2020. An autopsy determined his cause of death to be acute methamphetamine intoxication.

Young is also charged with possession of methamphetamine, a Level 5 felony, and possession of paraphernalia, a Class C misdemeanor. She is currently scheduled for a two-day jury trial beginning July 12.

The need for that trial would be eliminated if she were to plead guilty at the May 17 hearing.

A separate trial for Ryan Markle on the same charges is scheduled to begin May 17.

Portland police and Jay Emergency Medical Service were called March 6, 2020, to an upstairs apartment at 221 S. Meridian St., Portland, where a 3-month-old child was not breathing. Hayden Markle was then transported to IU Health Jay, where he was later pronounced dead.

Indiana State Police, Indiana Department of Child Services, Jay County Coroner’s Office and Jay County Prosecutor’s Office investigated the boy’s death, resulting in the April 15, 2020, 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.