Melissa Mitin, the 26-year-old Okemos woman accused of the death of one baby and the suspected death of another, was recently in court again. Appearing in the Ingham County Circuit Court, Mitin was present because the prosecution introduced what they believe is new evidence pointing to the death of Mitin’s second baby.
According to court documents, the prosecution is alleging that Melissa Mitin searched information relating to pregnancy online during her second pregnancy, which supports their claim that she knew she was pregnant. They are also claiming that she lied about being raped, and intentionally hid her intimate relationship, and the fact that she was pregnant, from her family.
The fact that Mitin knew she was pregnant, but hid her pregnancy from everyone, and made no effort to prepare for motherhood is a clear indicator that she never intended to keep the baby, says the prosecution. They are also claiming that, because she is accused of disposing of her former baby daughter in a wastebasket where the newborn infant died, one can easily believe that she intended a similar fate for the second baby.
The prosecution wants to add child abuse charges
And finally, the prosecution is claiming that Melissa Mitin told a fellow inmate at the Ingham County Jail that she had given birth to a stillborn baby in December of 2014. She allegedly then said that she had placed the baby in a green bag and put it in a gas station dumpster in Okemos. As a result, the prosecution wants to add child abuse charges to the already existing murder charges that Mitin is facing as a result of her first baby’s death in 2013.
But according to the defense, it is too late for this evidence to be entered, and that these allegations are simply for the purpose of inflating the charges. The defense also argues there isn’t sufficient evidence to prove any of these allegations in court. However, Judge Jamo has said that he will review the information and decide if the prosecution is allowed to add additional charges.
During the hearing, Mitin’s attorney also requested that the Judge grant him access to any relevant CPS documentation, which the Judge granted. CPS records are generally confidential. However, since these CPS records pertain to Mitin’s case, the Judge noted that discovery rules apply.
As of now, the trial is scheduled for April 4th in the Ingham County Circuit Court.