Infant murder case now in hands of jury
KYLE, Texas (KXAN) – Jury deliberations in the capital murder case for Little Lyons Cub Day Care Owner Christina Lyons, accused of killing a 10-week-old boy who died on Thanksgiving Day 2010, ended Friday with no verdict.
The jury was sent home until Monday around 5:30 p.m. Friday
After two weeks of evidence, attorneys made their closing arguments Friday morning, though not before the prosecutor told jurors that Benjamin Spencer’s last chance at justice was in their hands.
A Hays County grand jury indicted Lyons, 33, on Feb. 3, 2011 in connection with Benjamin’s death. He died after being sent to Dell Children’s Medical Center with severe head injuries from a Kyle day care center in November.
Benjamin’s parents dropped the baby off at Lyons’ home day care, and the next time they saw him, he had suffered a massive head fracture — an injury he died from.
During the trial, doctors testified that his head looked as though it had been slammed against a solid surface and that only an adult would have the strength to cause that kind of injury. They said it does not look like the injuries were consistent with a fall.
Lyons was the only adult home at the time, but her lawyers and family members are trying to convince the jury that it was Lyons’ 4-year-old daughter who caused Benjamin’s death when she was playing too rough with him. Defense attorneys said it happened all while Lyons stepped out to smoke a cigarette.
This is a capital murder case, but prosecutors are not seeking the death penalty. If convicted, Lyons could be sentenced to life in prison.
Authorities arrested Lyons on Nov. 19, 2010 after police said she injured the baby boy. Initially, Lyons was charged with injury to a child, a first-degree felony.
Lyons had been released on a $50,000 bond. And while the charge against Lyons did not change, officials increased the bond to $500,000.
She returned to the Hays County Jail on Dec. 2, 2010 after she turned herself in to authorities.
Kyle police responded to the day care
You can read the rest of this article at: http://www.kxan.com/dpp/news/local/hays/closing-arguments-in-infant-murder-case
Short URL: http://www.txwclp.org/?p=12225
Posted by rbutler
on Jul 2 2012. Filed under Williamson County Politics.
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