SARATOGA SPRINGS, Utah — More than seven months after a Saratoga Springs woman and her 8-year-old son were shot and killed in their home, police have still not arrested a suspect. However, in the first public development in the case in several months, the FBI is assisting the local police department in the investigation, and they are planning to search a section of the Jordan River for evidence.
Jessica Lyman, 44, and her son, Eli Painter, were shot in the middle of the night on March 28. They were found by a teenager (the daughter and sister of the victims) later that morning after she arrived home. Painter was pronounced dead at the scene, while Lyman was taken to the hospital but died several days later.
The Saratoga Springs Police Department announced Sunday that they are planning to search the river and surrounding area near the scene of the crime on Monday morning, with the assistance of the FBI.
No details were provided about the type of evidence they're searching for, but Sunday's announcement said this is "one of multiple locations where law enforcement is conducting efforts to locate additional evidence to further the investigation of the incident."
In the months since the double murder, investigators have not released many details. Some new information has come from unsealed search warrants — such as doorbell camera footage showing someone lurking nearby, and the discovery of a mask in the home that resembled one worn by that unidentified person.
The victims' family said they are "encouraged" by Sunday's announcement.
"[We] remain hopeful it will help bring accountability to those responsible," their statement read. "We miss Jessica and Eli every single day and continue to seek the answers and justice their memories deserve."
Saratoga Springs Police are still asking anyone with information that could help the investigation to call them at 801-766-6503.
