The suspect, whose name the Daily Herald chose not to release, was charged with two counts of aggravated murder, both first-degree felonies, and one count of obstruction of justice in a criminal investigation, a second-degree felony.

The Utah County Attorney’s Office said it intends to try the boy in adult district court.

On March 28, 2025, authorities responded to a medical assist call at a Saratoga Springs residence and located Jessica Lyman, 44, and Eli Painter, 8, lying on a bed with gunshot wounds. Both individuals died despite life-saving efforts, police said.

According to a probable cause statement, the suspect, Lyman and Painter returned home at 9 p.m. on March 27. On the morning of the 28th, Lyman’s daughter stopped by the home to speak with her and found the bodies before calling 911, court documents said. Painter was pronounced dead at the scene and Lyman died at the hospital on March 31, police said. 

When authorities arrived at the scene, they found the suspect in his room, and he claimed he was sleeping and did not hear the gunshots, the frantic 911 call from his sister or the initial entry of first responders, court documents said.

According to the probable cause statement, the suspect was examined by police that day and was found to have scratches on his right shoulder, and DNA samples from the victims’ fingernails were positive for the suspect’s DNA. His DNA was also found on clothes worn by Lyman when she died, police said. 

Video surveillance from a nearby residence also captured an argument between the suspect and a voice believed to be Lyman’s, court documents said. 

The voice can be heard shouting at the suspect, “What are you doing!?,” and less than two minutes later, three gunshots are heard, followed by a pause and two additional gunshots, court documents said. Police said the suspect admitted to having an argument with his mother that night. 

On March 28, between 2:34 a.m. and 2:59 a.m., a masked figure was seen on multiple home surveillance cameras in the neighborhood and matched the suspect’s height and build while wearing clothes known to be worn by him, the probable cause statement said. 

“Based on the path of travel in the surveillance video as well as time periods where the masked figure is not visible, (the suspect) could have disposed of the murder weapon in several locations, including the Jordan River which is only a few minutes’ walk from the home,” police said. 

A subsequent investigation found the suspect had gunshot residue on multiple items of clothing, including the clothes he was wearing on March 28, police said.