SARATOGA SPRINGS, Utah (Scripps News Group) — Recently unsealed search warrants reveal details in the homicide investigation of a Utah woman and her 8-year-old son.
On the morning of March 28, 44-year-old Jessica Lyman was found next to the body of her son, 8-year-old Eli Painter, inside their Saratoga Springs home. Painter was declared dead at the scene, while Lyman was taken to the hospital in critical condition and later died.
Police outside the Saratoga Springs home where Jessica Lyman and her son, 8-year-old Eli Painter, were found. (Scripps News Salt Lake City)
According to the warrant that was filed on April 8th and unsealed this week, Lyman’s “shorts or pants” were found “down around her knees.” The warrant also revealed that two .22-caliber shell casings were found at the murder scene. Police found two BB guns inside the home, but no other guns. At the time of the warrant, police said they had not found any weapons believed to be connected to the murder.
Police have still not publicly identified any suspects and no one has been charged. The department issued a statement, saying neither they nor the family “participated” in the release, but that the warrant was unsealed after the 90-day expiration.
“The families of the victims have been extremely cooperative throughout the entire investigation and the Saratoga Springs Police Department remains committed to continuing to work closely with them in the pursuit of justice,” the department wrote.
The warrant reveals investigators viewed surveillance footage from a neighbor’s home security camera. The footage showed an unidentified individual walking in the area, going in and out from between houses on the victims’ street. The detective wrote that one of the gaps between houses leads to a gravel path that provides potential access to the back of the Lyman family’s home.
At one point, the individual pauses and puts “what appears to be a white mask over his face,” the warrant stated. In a search of the home four days after the shooting, detectives said they found a white and brown mask that “resembles the mask that is seen on the video recordings,” the warrant stated.
A Saratoga Springs Police detective submitted a warrant to Apple Inc., requesting data from an iCloud account belonging to a family member of the victims. Police previously filed a warrant with the Ring doorbell camera company, requesting access to Lyman’s account and the footage from the home’s camera. The department has not confirmed whether they were granted access to either the Ring or Apple data.
The Orton family, Lyman’s immediate family, also issued a statement, expressing their sadness at the loss but gratitude to the police department, the community, their friends and their extended family.
“Not a moment passes that we don’t feel the weight of this unimaginable loss. Our family is forever changed. While we continue to wait for answers, we remain hopeful that justice will be served and those responsible will be held accountable,” their statement read in part. “We miss Jessica and Eli every single moment of every single day. When we are together as a family, we can’t help but feel incomplete. We miss their smiles, their laughter, and their joyful spirits. Please continue to keep our family, and everyone affected by this senseless tragedy, in your thoughts and prayers.”
The family also asks anyone with information about the case to contact Saratoga Springs Police.
“Jessica and Eli deserve justice, and even the smallest detail could help law enforcement in their ongoing investigation,” they wrote.
This story was originally published by Scripps News Salt Lake City, an E.W. Scripps Company.
