GUILTY IL - Mya Lyons, 9, stabbed to death, Chicago, 15 July 2008

[reen]

This is ridiculous. Whose fingerprints/DNA are on that knife?? And this, from an old article, still stands out to me:

"Also part of the investigation is checking into whether a known sex offender, whose last known address is on that block, is linked to the murder. That house has been vacant for a while, neighbors said."

Where is that guy?

I can't believe they've just dropped this...the neighborhood is probably still terrified for their children.

 

[Cubby]

Richard Lyons, 42, was taken into custody Monday on a no-bond warrant in connection to Mya's unsolved murder, police said. No charges have been filed as of this morning.


Source: http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/loca...-unsolved-murder-114102549.html#ixzz1BOSpA0tK

Short article. I wonder what prompted LE to make an arrest. Also, it looks like the RSO who was questioned earlier has been ruled out.

Mya deserves justice. Wondering how this will unfold.

 

[Cubby]

Another article a little longer than the one posted above.

http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20110118/news/110119459/

 

[Cubby]

I'm stumped on this one. On one had Cook Cty has botched so many cases with false arrests, and on the other hand I have to wonder why Mya's father removed her from the alleged(?) crime scene and took her in his van to the hospital. Why didn't he wait for emergency vehicles to arrive?

I have to refresh my memory of the case, but was there evidence Mya had in fact been in the alley? or was all the evidence in her dads van?

 

[fran]

I recall when this happened. The circumstances and timeline were always curious. In an early article, LE said there was a LOT of evidence left at the scene.

Interesting that IF there was so much evidence found at the scene, why did it take them until two days after her funeral before they found the weapon, ie knife?

What's curious about this case is, usually when a person is the guilty party, such as a parent, you never hear from them again. Case goes cold. Yet in this case, the father sued the city because the alley wasn't maintained.

That isn't the actions of a perp.

I hope LE knows what they're doing here.

JMHO
fran

 

[Salem]

If I remember correctly, dad was questioned extensively early on. I can't remember if he took a poly. Dad finally lawyered up because he was worried that LE was just trying to pin the murder on him, without looking for the truely guilty party.

I'm sorry to hear that it now looks like he might be the perp I really felt like he didn't do it in the beginning.

Salem

 

[not_my_kids]

I wonder if they have real reason to suspect the dad or if they are just p!ssed they couldn't nail him the first time. Don't get me wrong, I hope that if he did do it, they hang him from the highest tree...BUT, why now? Those forensic tests and poly results had to be in ages ago.

Don't forget that Barack Obama sent a note to the family for the memorial that was held in '09...possibly internal pressure from that angle? I don't know, they looked at a neighbor, a sex offender, a scrapper that was in the alley, her dad, and likely her uncle (altho I can't confirm on the uncle) and now, out of nowhere, after no word for nearly a year, they arrest the dad? Or rather take him in for questioning in a very high profile way, sinc ethere aren't charges, I guess it's not an arrest...I'm just saying it seems a little bit fishy to me.

I could be wrong, it's happened a million times before, but something doesn't smell right.

 

[not_my_kids]

http://www.chicagodefender.com/article-9859-father-in-custody-in-daughterrss-slaying.html

This says that the van used to take her to the hospital is STILL in police custody...so there may have been more in the way of testing more recently. I just don't know. Maybe my vision is clouded by the fact that in a way, I would rather it be a stranger, as opposed to one more parent that kills a child.
For the record, the media still can't seem to come to a consensus as to whether or not she was sexually assaulted. Grrrrr...

ETA: This one explains why the uncle went with him, apparently he is a registered nurse.
http://www.suntimes.com/3364284-417/lyons-police-mya-family-body.html

 

[Cubby]

Originally posted by Fran

Yet in this case, the father sued the city because the alley wasn't maintained

Thanks for reminding me of this. I haven't had time yet to reread the thread but will do so as time permits.

 

[angelmom]

Wow. I have been waiting and praying for a resolution to this case, but this was not what I was thinking.

I'm going to wait and see how this turns out before jumping to any conclusions.

 

[BigFatMommyDog]

http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/news/local/chibrknews-sources-suspect-questioned-in-01172011,0,1754535.story

Chicago Tribune: After more than two years, man charged with murder of daughter, 9

Thanks to everyone following this - I've been lurking on this story. What a sad, sad ending

 

[Cubby]

Chicago - Richard Lyons, the father of 9-year-old Mya Lyons, has been charged with murdering her in July 2008. Her body was found in a South Side alley.

Lyons, 42, is also charged with aggravated sexual abuse of a 15-year-old boy from an incident in June of last year, Tandra Simonton, spokeswoman for the Cook County State's Attorney's office said.

Chicago police are holding a press conference at 5:15 p.m. to announce charges in the case at CPD Headquarters, 3510 S. Michigan Ave.

<snip>

Two weeks after the murder, Lyons hired a criminal defense attorney because detectives allegedly made &#8220;accusatory and threatening&#8221; comments to him.

&#8220;My family and I just want to be left alone so that we can remember Mya and deal with our broken hearts,&#8221; Lyons said at the time. &#8220;I respect the police and pray that they do the job they are capable of doing in capturing the person who killed my baby.&#8221;

full article and video at link.

http://www.myfoxchicago.com/dpp/new...y-gilbert-little-girl-father-stabbed-20110117#

I missed the presser. Will try to catch the local 6pm news.

 

[Cubby]

Not much on the 6pm news despite this being the top story.

Summary:

Murder charges based on 'totality of the forensic evidence'.
Despite the murder occuring 2.5 years ago it was never a cold case.
Lyons defense attorney was quoted as saying (paraphrased) asking people to remember Lyons submitted dna within a short time of the murder occuring.

CHPD states the murder charges have no connection with the additonal sexual abuse charges of a 15 year old juvenille last summer and no additional details were available.

A friend speaking on behalf of Mya's mother stated Mya's mom feels like she has been punched in the stomach as a result of todays news.

No link, the above is from local 6pm news on NBC.

 

[Cubby]

Mya Lyons was stabbed to death by her father Richard Lyons and was never sexually assaulted, contrary to statements made by his attorney, police said Tuesday at the formal announcement of charges against Lyons.

<snip>


Ericka Barnes &#8211;&#8211; Mya&#8217;s mother &#8211;&#8211; and her family went door-to-door in November 2008 on Gilbert Court asking neighbors what they remembered about the hours leading up to when Mya&#8217;s body was found.

Most of what neighbors said was also told to the police. But, she lived with the notion that whatever happened to Mya didn't happen in the alley, she said at the time. She long had her suspicions about Lyons&#8217; guilt, but hoped it wasn&#8217;t true.

more at link:
http://www.chicagodefender.com/article-9864-girls-father-charged-in-her-horrific-death.html

 

[Cubby]

<snip>

Detectives told NBC Chicago they were moving to charge Lyons more than a year ago, but they decided to link the case of Mya's murder to an unrelated case against the girl's father.

Aside from first-degree murder, Lyons was charged with one count of aggravated criminal sexual abuse, according to the Chicago police department. The Cook County State's Attorney's office told the Sun-Times the charges were connected to the sexual abuse of a 15-year-old boy in June of 2009.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/18/richard-lyons-charged-in-_n_810656.html

 

[Cubby]

the following MSM article is originally dated July 15, 2009 and marked updated Jan 18 (2011). It doesn't appear there is any additional updates regarding the arrest, but considering most of Chgo MSM goes by the way of PTV (pay to view) within months, sometimes weeks Fox Chicago may have simply 'updated' so an earlier MSM article exists- many quotes from Mya's father in this article. Worth the read...

http://www.myfoxchicago.com/dpp/news/metro/mya_lyons_murder_one_year_later

 

[Cubby]

Sources say blood stains showed 9-year-old was stabbed inside his van, not alley


snippet from article:

According to law enforcement sources, the case turned on blood-spatter evidence that experts contend proves Mya was stabbed inside her father's van, not in the alley where he said he discovered her body. Lyons had told police that he and his uncle used the van to rush his dying daughter to the hospital.

Lyons, 42, was arrested Monday afternoon at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where he works in the radiology department. In an incident unrelated to Mya's murder, he was also charged with the 2010 criminal sexual abuse of a teenage neighbor.

Lyons' attorney, Alan Blumenthal, denied the allegations against his client. Blumenthal contended that medical records seemed to indicate Mya had been sexually assaulted — a claim strongly denied by police.

full article at link:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-mya-lyons-charges-20110118,0,6825094,full.story

 

[not_my_kids]

Sources say blood stains showed 9-year-old was stabbed inside his van, not alley


snippet from article:

According to law enforcement sources, the case turned on blood-spatter evidence that experts contend proves Mya was stabbed inside her father's van, not in the alley where he said he discovered her body. Lyons had told police that he and his uncle used the van to rush his dying daughter to the hospital.

Lyons, 42, was arrested Monday afternoon at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where he works in the radiology department. In an incident unrelated to Mya's murder, he was also charged with the 2010 criminal sexual abuse of a teenage neighbor.

Lyons' attorney, Alan Blumenthal, denied the allegations against his client. Blumenthal contended that medical records seemed to indicate Mya had been sexually assaulted — a claim strongly denied by police.

full article at link:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-mya-lyons-charges-20110118,0,6825094,full.story

Now that makes sense. Blood spatter evidence makes a lot of sense. That would also explain why the van was kept all this time. He's a monster.

 

[Cubby]

Now that makes sense. Blood spatter evidence makes a lot of sense. That would also explain why the van was kept all this time. He's a monster.

I agree. As I caught up it does seem to fit together. The short timeline, the grandmother stating she last saw Mya when she put her to bed, the family hearing a door close, dads excuse why he drove her in the van versus contacting LE to come to the scene, why no one heard screams - they would likely be muffled in a vehicle, dad being familiar with that dead end, high grass area which was mentioned mentioned by MSM online or on local news most people were unaware the there was an alley at the end of the dead end street. -To name a few.......

I agree he is a monster. Rereading his comments and pleas makes me wanna uke:

Myas mother has been making each news cast today stating she always had strong suspicions but didn't want to believe the father of her child was capable...... I couldn't imagine... my heart breaks for her.

This imo deserves the DP if convicted and unfortunately there has been a lot of local MSM and it looks like IL is on the verge of abolishing the DP in this state. (which I do not agree with...... )

jmo

 

[Cubby]

IMO it will be interesting which route the defense takes now that LE has made it very very clear Mya was never sexually assaulted.

jmo