16-year-old arrested in Saratoga Springs double-homicide investigation

15 Aug 2026, 01:14 by Wendy Leonard ksl · KSL.com

SARATOGA SPRINGS — A 16-year-old boy was arrested Friday in connection with the murders of Jessica Lyman and her son, Eli Painter, on March 28, 2025.

The teen was booked into the juvenile detention center while police investigate charges including two counts of first-degree murder, resulting from the unresolved deaths of then-43-year-old Lyman and then-8-year-old Eli last year. Both suffered gunshot wounds inside an apartment at 1244 N. Willowbrook Lane in Saratoga Springs. The boy died at the scene and the mother died from her injuries a week later, according to the Saratoga Springs Police Department.

A 17-year-old girl had called police after finding her mother and brother unconscious in the residence. Police said the teenage boy was also in the home at the time, but he had said he was sleeping at the time of the shooting and hadn't heard anything, according to search warrants unsealed in January.

The warrants also said clothing worn by the then-15-year-old had gun residue on it. Police made no arrests at the time. The warrants also detailed how the teenager would spend up to 15 hours a day on messaging apps and had messaged with others regarding the murders.

In the boy's room that was "in a state of disarray," police wrote in the warrants that they also found two BB gun pistols, plate carriers and magazine pouches, and a handwritten note referencing "several forms of forensic evidence," including "serology," "DNA" and "firearm testing." A detective also reported locating a second handwritten note stating, "This is a murder story."

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16-year-old arrested in Saratoga Springs double-homicide investigation

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