Murder charges dropped in girl found dead at rest stop
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) -- Lincoln County prosecutors dropped murder charges against a mother and her wife in the death of a 9-year-old girl whose body was found at a Lincoln County rest stop and remained unidentified for nearly a year.
The body of Haley Mae Coblentz was found on December 10, 2020 by a person walking near a rest stop along the H.B. Van Duzer Forest State Scenic Corridor in Lincoln City, a heavily wooded state park. That person spotted a duffel bag — with the remains of a child hidden inside of it.
She had never been reported missing and Haley's remains weren't identified until late in 2021.
In early December, Haley's mother, Shawna Browning, and her wife Lauren Harrison, were arrested in Michigan and charged with aggravated murder.
In an unexpected twist, the Lincoln County District Attorney's Office dismissed the charges against the women "in the furtherance of justice."
The Oregonian reports the state of Oregon could possibly file charges against the pair in the future.
KOIN 6 News has reached out to investigators and the Lincoln County DA's Office for comment and clarity but have not received a response at this writing.