(Plymouth, IN) - Residents in Plymouth are mourning the tragic death of 11-month-old Mercedes Lain.

 

After an extensive search, Lain’s body was found in a wooded area halfway between Plymouth and Knox Thursday morning.

 

Lain’s parents put the baby into the care of a friend during what investigators suggest was a drug-fueled weekend. All three adults are now in jail.

 

Some Plymouth residents aren’t taking the tragedy sitting down. Instead, they’re collecting a petition to hold Marshall County DCS officials accountable.

 

The online petition circulating on change.org alleges that child protection workers in Marshall County were aware that Mercedes Lain and an older sister were being neglected, endangered, and perhaps worse.

 

By Saturday evening, nearly five thousand people had signed the petition calling for a full investigation of DCS. View the petition here.