Police say forensic testing and hundreds of evidence items helped investigators establish probable cause after nearly a year and a half.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, Utah — A homicide investigation that stretched across 17 months, dozens of search warrants and extensive forensic work has led to the arrest of a 16-year-old boy in connection with the deaths of Jessica Lyman and her 8-year-old son, Eli Painter.
Saratoga Springs police announced the arrest Aug. 14, saying recent examination of additional evidence, considered together with information gathered throughout the investigation, gave detectives probable cause to take the teenager into custody. He was booked into a juvenile detention center, and police screened two counts of first-degree murder with the Utah County Attorney’s Office.
The investigation began March 28, 2025, when officers responded to a home on Willowbrook Lane after a medical-assistance call. Police found Lyman and Painter with gunshot wounds. Painter died at the scene, while Lyman was transported for emergency medical treatment and later died. Police secured the residence and began documenting the scene, collecting evidence, interviewing people connected to the case and looking for surveillance video.
The scope of the investigation grew substantially in the months that followed. Police Chief Andrew Burton said detectives eventually executed dozens of search warrants, collected hundreds of evidence items and conducted numerous interviews. Investigators also reviewed large amounts of video, records and other information as they worked to establish a reliable account of what happened.
Forensic testing became a significant part of that process. Police said numerous items were submitted to laboratories for examination and that some analyses took considerable time to complete. Detectives had to wait for certain results before taking additional investigative steps, then compare new findings with information already gathered in the case.
Federal assistance also became publicly visible during the investigation. In November 2025, the FBI joined Saratoga Springs police in a search of the Jordan River and surrounding areas near the location of the killings. Police said at the time that the river was one of multiple locations being searched for additional evidence. The department did not publicly detail what, if anything, was recovered during that operation.
Investigators also worked with the Utah State Crime Laboratory, West Jordan Police Department and Utah County Sheriff’s Office Evidence Team. Police said the Utah County Attorney’s Office provided consultation as detectives continued developing the case. Burton described the investigation as unusually complex and said it demanded sustained attention from investigators and forensic personnel.
The lengthy process drew increasing attention as the case passed its first anniversary without an arrest. The victims’ family said in March that relatives continued to feel the loss of Lyman and Painter while waiting for answers. At the same time, the family said it remained in contact with law enforcement and understood that evidence was still being processed.
Police have not publicly disclosed all of the evidence they say established probable cause for the teenager’s arrest. Burton said investigators are still finishing parts of the case, conducting follow-up interviews and gathering and analyzing additional information. The department has said it intends to limit disclosures that could affect the ongoing investigation or the rights of the accused.
The next stage will involve prosecutors and the courts. Detectives have screened two first-degree murder counts, but authorities had not announced whether the teenager would be charged in juvenile court or as an adult. His arrest represents a major turn in the investigation, but the allegations have not been proven in court.
Author note: Last updated August 15, 2026.