INDIANAPOLIS — A judge has reduced bail for the mother of a baby who has been missing since March 2019.
Amber Robertson, 23, was charged in September with felony neglect after her baby, 8-month-old Amiah, had been missing for years. Her ex-boyfriend, Robert Lyons, who was originally named as a suspect in the case, is also facing neglect charges after a grand jury indictment.
Robertson's public defender asked a judge to reduced her bail so she could be with family to mourn the recent death of her mother and deliver the twins she's currently pregnant with.
Doctors have told Robertson she'll need to deliver the twins by C-section in mid-January. Robertson said she doesn't want to give birth alone while incarcerated.
The judge reduced bail from $60,000 to $40,000. Ten percent cash — or $4,000 — must be posted in order for Robertson to be released while awaiting the start of her trial.
None of Robertson's family were in court Thursday, so it's unclear if anyone will post bond.
"She doesn't deserve to be out of jail. She walked free for three and a half years knowing something about her daughter," said C.C. Hatton, an advocate for baby Amiah. "She failed to report her daughter for seven whole days as a missing person. No mother does that."
The state argued against the bond reduction, saying there was concern about Robertson being around newborn twins, plus her three other children who are all younger than 5 years old.
Robertson and Lyons' jury trial is set to begin March 6, 2023.