FBI joins Saratoga Springs double murder investigation, surveying Jordan River
Nov 17, 2025, 8:00 AM | Updated: 7:02 pm
The Jordan River is pictured in this undated photo in Saratoga Springs. (Jordan River Commission)
(Jordan River Commission)
SALT LAKE CITY — Nearly eight months after a mother and her 8-year-old son were killed in their Saratoga Springs home, Saratoga Springs police announced Monday the FBI was joining the investigation to search the Jordan River.
The Saratoga Springs Police Department said the FBI will assist in searching the river and surrounding area starting at 8 a.m. on Monday. The effort was in hopes of finding evidence there in relation to the murders.
“(The Jordan River) is one of multiple locations where law enforcement is conducting efforts to locate additional evidence to further the investigation of the incident,” police said.
Eli Painter, 8, and his mother Jessica Lyman were found with serious gunshot wounds on March 26.
Saratoga Springs Police Department said Painter had already died by the time they arrived, but Lyman was still alive and in “extremely critical condition.” Lyman was flown to the Utah Valley Medical Center, where she later died of her injuries.
According to police, the river and area being searched are near the home where Lyman and Painter were found.
“The Saratoga Springs Police Department is committed not only to identifying and arresting the responsible individual(s) but also to ensuring a successful prosecution,” police said. “This investigation remains active and ongoing, and anyone with information related to this case is asked to contact the Saratoga Springs Investigations Unit at 801-766-6503.”
Statement from the victims’ family
It has been nearly eight months since an act of senseless violence took the lives of our daughter and sister, Jessica Lyman, and our grandson and nephew, Eli Painter. We never imagined our family would face this kind of tragedy, and it has been very emotionally difficult.
Since March 28, we have worked closely and consistently with the Saratoga Springs Police Department and other local and national law enforcement agencies in pursuit of justice.
We are encouraged by this search of the Jordan River by the dive team for additional evidence, and we remain hopeful it will help bring accountability to those responsible. We miss Jessica and Eli every single day and continue to seek the answers and justice their memories deserve. — The Orton Family
As of Monday morning, no suspects had been named in relation to the murders.
