Police say the 16-year-old was taken into custody after a nearly 17-month investigation involving extensive searches, forensic testing and outside agencies.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, Utah — A 16-year-old boy has been arrested in connection with the killings of his mother, Jessica Lyman, and his 8-year-old brother, Eli Painter, who were shot inside their Saratoga Springs home in March 2025, police said.
The teen, whose name has not been released because he is a juvenile, was booked into juvenile detention Friday. Saratoga Springs police said detectives screened two counts of first-degree murder with the Utah County Attorney’s Office. Authorities have not yet announced whether prosecutors will seek to handle the case in juvenile court or pursue adult charges.
Police were called to the family’s home on North Willowbrook Lane on March 28, 2025. Officers found Lyman and Eli suffering from gunshot wounds. Eli died at the scene, while Lyman was taken to a hospital and later died from her injuries. The teen, who was 15 at the time, was also inside the home when officers arrived.
The arrest followed an investigation that police described as unusually complex and time-consuming. Police Chief Andrew Burton said detectives executed dozens of search warrants, collected hundreds of pieces of evidence, conducted numerous interviews and reviewed large amounts of video, records and other material. The FBI, Utah County Sheriff’s Office evidence team, West Valley City police and the Utah medical examiner’s office also assisted.
Search warrant records made public during the investigation showed that authorities focused on physical and digital evidence tied to the home and the surviving teenager. According to those records, laboratory testing detected gunshot residue on clothing the teen was wearing when police contacted him on the day of the shootings. Investigators wrote that they did not know of another explanation for the residue.
The court records also said investigators examined electronic devices, online communications and items recovered during searches. Police said the teen had spent substantial amounts of time using messaging applications and had exchanged messages with others about the killings. Officers also reported finding handwritten material in his room that referred to forensic testing. Those details were cited by investigators in applications seeking permission for further searches and do not amount to findings of guilt.
Investigators said .22-caliber shell casings were recovered from the home. Earlier court filings indicated that authorities had not located the firearm believed to have been used in the killings. Police and FBI dive teams searched the Jordan River and surrounding areas during the investigation, although authorities did not publicly identify all of the evidence they were seeking.
When officers first arrived at the home, the teenager told investigators he had been asleep and had not heard the shootings, according to court records. Police continued gathering evidence in the months that followed while seeking additional interviews and conducting forensic analysis. No arrest was announced until Aug. 14, more than a year after the deaths.
Burton said the length of the investigation reflected the volume and complexity of the evidence rather than a lack of attention to the case. He said investigators remained focused on finding answers for the victims’ families and establishing what happened inside the home.
The arrest begins a new stage of the case but does not determine criminal responsibility. Prosecutors must decide how the 16-year-old will be charged, and allegations contained in police reports and search warrants have not been proven in court. Police said interviews and other investigative work were continuing after the arrest.
Author note: Last updated August 16, 2026.