Two sisters only 12 and 10 years old vanished in 1975, their disappearances and presumed deaths a complete mystery perhaps until now with police identifying a person of interest.
Sheila and Katherine Lyon disappeared nearly 40 years ago while walking to a nearby shopping center to look at Easter decorations, which touched off a massive manhunt.
"People reported seeing those girls with an older man who had a tape recorder and a brief case — that man, though, never found. Sources telling News 4 this new information has been developed by the cold case squad here in Montgomery County." (Via WRC-TV)
Police identified Lloyd Welch, a 57-year-old convicted child sex offender currently serving a life sentence in a Delaware prison. Investigators say Welch, who was 18 years old at the time, was noticed paying attention to the girls at the mall the day they disappeared. (Via WMAR, Fox News)
Local media in Washington, D.C., report police believe the man they've identified was at the Wheaton Plaza Mall the day the Lyon sisters disappeared.
Over the years, family members slowly lost hope Sheila and Katherine were alive. Though they did release age-progression photos and cold-case database CharleyProject.org keeps a sketch of a possible suspect posted, the Lyon family placed a marker for the girls in a local cemetery.
WUSA pulled file video from 10 years ago when the Lyons' parents talked about wanting to end the cold case and detectives promised to do so.
MARY LYON: "The brides that he didn't walk down the aisle, the grandchildren we didn't have, the sons-in-law we didn't have."
DETECTIVE: "This is a case that will remain active in our files until we know what happened to these girls." (Via WUSA)
Montgomery County Police scheduled a press conference shortly after noon Tuesday to release their findings, calling it the biggest break they've had in the cold case in quite some time. (Via Fox News)
