Disturbing details have been revealed following the double homicide of a Utah woman and her 8-year-old son, including hateful text messages her teenage son sent days before the murder.
44-year-old mother of three Jessica Lyman and her youngest son, Eli Painter, 8, were found shot in their Saratoga Springs home on March 28.
According to search warrants unsealed on July 7, Lyman's 15-year-old son sent a series of hostile messages in the days leading up to the murders, calling her "witch," and telling her to "shut up," and "f--- off."
"I wish I died in your stomach," one text read. "Wouldn't have to put up with you."
"Do you know how insignificant you are to my life?" asked another.
Lyman was discovered by her 17-year-old daughter, critically injured with her pants and underwear pulled around her knees and suspected seminal fluid at the scene. Her youngest son was in the room, killed by two gunshot wounds. Lyman later died at a hospital.
In the teen's bedroom, police found intimate articles of Lyman's clothing, two BB gun pistols, tactical gear, and a handwritten note reading, "This is a murder story."
Surveillance footage also showed someone wearing a white mask—matching one found in the teen's room—near the home around the time of the killings.
According to court documents, the 15-year-old told officers he was napping during the murders. No murder weapon has been recovered, and no suspect has been publicly named.
Lyman's family shared a statement describing their heartbreak and urging anyone with information to contact authorities. "We miss Jessica and Eli every single moment of every single day," they wrote. "Jessica and Eli deserve justice."
The Saratoga Springs Police Department emphasized its commitment to pursuing justice in a statement to People, noting that the victims' family has been fully cooperative throughout the ongoing investigation.
