A 16-year-old Utah boy has been charged with murdering his mom and younger brother over a year after they were shot dead in their home.
The suspect, who has not been named because he is a minor, was 15 at the time that his mother Jessica Lyman, 44, and half-brother Eli Painter, eight, were killed in their home in Saratoga Springs, Utah on March 27, 2025.
The teenager alleged he was sleeping when the violence unfolded and claimed not to know what happened when his 17-year-old sister found the bodies the next morning, prosecutors said in newly released court documents first reported by KSL.
Officials said he claimed not to hear the gunshots or his sister’s ‘frantic and high-volume conversation with 911,’ despite it taking place immediately next to his bedroom.
The court documents also allege surveillance footage from a neighbor’s property appeared to show he was in a loud shouting match moments leading up to the gunshots, before he was allegedly seen wearing a mask to dispose of the murder weapon.
When officers searched the family’s home, investigators said they found several disturbing messages left at the scene, including a handwritten note reading, ‘This is a murder story,’ the documents said.
He also allegedly sent a series of alarming text messages to his mother in the lead-up to the shootings, including one reading: ‘I wish I died in your stomach. Wouldn’t have to put up with you.’
This week, over a year after the shootings, prosecutors charged the 16-year-old with two counts of aggravated murder and obstruction of justice. The teen is charged as a juvenile, however, prosecutors said they intend to escalate his charges to adult court.
A 16-year-old Utah boy has been charged with murdering his mother Jessica Lyman, 44, and his younger half-brother Eli Painter, eight, over a year after they were shot dead in their home
The suspect, who has not been named because he is a minor, was 15 at the time of the shootings in March 2025, and he claimed to be asleep when the violence unfolded
Prosecutors offered a new timeline of the shootings in the charging documents and said investigators quickly doubted his claims he was asleep during the violence.
The suspect also said he did not hear police officers and EMT personnel entering his family home after the shootings.
A review of neighbor’s surveillance footage allegedly caught him in a shouting match before shots rang out, and a voice believed to be Lyman’s could be heard yelling: ‘What are you doing?’ the documents said.
‘Less than two minutes later, three gunshots are heard: one, followed by a brief pause, and then two in very rapid succession,’ prosecutors continued in the documents.
The suspect then later admitted in a police interview that he and his mother had argued that night, prosecutors said.
Three hours later, a figure in a mask with the ‘same height and build’ and clothing as the 16-year-old was seen on home surveillance cameras walking around the neighborhood.
‘Based on the path of travel in the surveillance video as well as time periods where the masked figure is not visible, (he) could have disposed of the murder weapon in several locations,’ prosecutors said.
The murder weapon was not located, however, prosecutors speculated locations it may have been dumped, including a nearby river.
Investigators said they found seminal fluid near Lyman’s body and her pants were ‘down around her knees’ at the scene where she was shot
Eli’s body and that of his mom’s were discovered by the suspect’s sister who dialed 911
The shootings occurred in the family home in Saratoga Springs, Utah
Investigators said alongside finding .22 shell casings in the home, they also discovered what is believed to be seminal fluids where Lyman was found, and she had her pants down ‘around her knees.’
When officers questioned the teenager, the suspect was found with ‘gunshot residue on multiple items of clothing, including the clothes he was wearing,’ the documents added.
A search of the teen’s phone uncovered a slew of disturbing messages he allegedly sent to his mother before the shootings, including branding her a ‘witch.’
‘Do you know how insignificant you are in my life? Very insignificant,’ he allegedly wrote in another.
‘I wish I died in your stomach. Wouldn’t have to put up with you.’
Following the announcement of charges against the teenager, Lyman’s family said in a statement: ‘Today’s arrest marks an important step toward justice for our daughter and sister, Jessica Orton Lyman, and our grandson and nephew, Eli Painter.’
Explaining why the charges came over 17 months after the shootings, Andy Burton, Police Chief with Saratoga Springs Police Department (SSPD), said investigators executed dozens of search warrants and had to wait some time for forensic evidence.
He said investigators pored through hundreds of items of evidence, reviewed extensive video records and conducted numerous interviews in the course of the case.
A search of the teen’s phone allegedly uncovered a slew of disturbing messages he allegedly sent to his mother before the shootings, including branding her a ‘witch’ and telling her, ‘Do you know how insignificant you are in my life? Very insignificant’
Burton acknowledged the length of time it took to get to an arrest, and said he understood how difficult the investigation had been for the victims’ families as he thanked them for their patience.
‘We also recognize that this has been a difficult and lengthy process for the families,’ he said.
‘While much of the work of a homicide investigation takes place behind the scenes, we understand that every day without answers has been difficult.
‘Our department remained committed to pursuing this case and seeking accountability for the victims and their families.’
