Family Says Richard Lyons Molested Their Son
CHICAGO (CBS) - He lived on their block. They trusted him to watch out for their kids. But instead, a Chicago family says Richard Lyons molested their son. What also angers these parents is that the same man is now charged with killing his own daughter more than two years ago. They tell CBS 2's Pamela Jones that if Lyons had been locked up, it could have saved their son from trauma.
"I was like Richard did something to you? He instantly started crying. And I'm like what did he do to you? And he made the gesture down to his private parts. And he was like, he touched him down there," the alleged victim's mother said.
Those chilling charges come from the mother of the 15-year-old boy police say was sexually abused by Richard Lyons last summer. The boy's family filed a police report, and Lyons is now charged in the case.
"What hurts me is that I've been knowing this man for over 20 years. And for you to do this to my child? I just don't understand it," the mom added.
She tells us Lyons was a trusted neighbor and friend even after the death of his daughter. She says he was supposed to style her son's hair one day, but that when Lyons came to pick the boy up, the teen didn't want to go.
"By it being Richard, you know, I didn't think anything was wrong," the mother said.
Her son says that two weeks before that, Lyons touched his genitals. When we visited Lyons to ask about that, he denied the claims. Our visit was just days before the second anniversary of his daughter Mya's death.
Lyons said little things like riding the El reminded him of how much he missed her.
"It dawned on me that I had never rode the train with my daughter. And something that little hurt so bad that I didn't get to ride the CTA train with her," Lyons said, "And I could instantly start to feel her sitting next to me. And laying her head on me to rest. And I felt like I was riding the train with my baby."
The family of Lyons' latest alleged victim believes Lyons' tears were just for show.
"As a father, how can I take my own daughter's life? My own daughter, how can I take her life?" the teen's stepfather asked.
"And then get on TV and fake cry," the boy's mom added.
The 15-year-old's mom, step-dad and siblings say they've waited too long for Lyons' arrest. They want to know why they had to wait more than two years for the evidence against him to add up.
"I want to know what took it so long. And if you all did have evidence that you all had. What took you so long?" the boy's mom said.
Those parents are happy investigators kept dogging the case until prosecutors could file a first degree murder charge against Lyons. They say they spoke to CBS 2, in part, because Lyons took several neighborhood children on outings to places like amusement parks - free of charge. Now, the teen's family suspects there could be more young victims keeping their silence.
