Lyons Sisters Q & A

New Posts

simplifymylife2014 said:
In view of what has come out recently in the Washington Post, does anyone suspect that LE will most likely need to conduct a Press Briefing, which will hopefully be televised?
Click to expand...

I think there will be one after any remains have been tested and/or when the grand jury has finished meeting. Please post if anyone finds out any additional information.
 
Falcon500 said:
Published on February 20, 2015 by Mcpnews in Press Releases

For 40 years, the Montgomery County Police Department has continued to investigate the 1975 disappearance of sisters, Katherine (age 10) and SheilaLyon Sisters (age 12) Lyon, with a focused purpose of bringing the person or persons responsible for their disappearance to justice.

In February of 2014, investigative leads brought detectives to the area of Bedford County Virginia; The Department and the FBI named Lloyd Lee Welch, also known as Michael Welch, as a person of interest in this case. Through investigation, detectives determined that Welch had a possible connection to Bedford County.

Since that time, Montgomery County detectives have been working tirelessly with the Bedford County Sheriff’s Office and the Virginia State Police, looking for evidence and gathering information that may indicate that Welch and other persons had a connection to the girls’ disappearance. We believe that there are people, including family members of Dick and Lloyd Welch, who have information that would further this investigation.

As part of this continuing investigation, search warrants have been executed at various residences; the content of these search warrants has since become public information.

As a Department and community, we must remember the ultimate goal of this investigation – holding the person(s) responsible for the girls’ disappearance accountable for their actions. Therefore, at this time, and until this case reaches closure, the Department is unable to provide additional information or comment on the content of the search warrants. The Department will not discuss details of this case that may jeopardize the integrity and ultimate resolution of the case. We thank the media and public for understanding our position.

As we relentlessly pursue this case, be assured that our Department will not stop until those responsible for the Lyon sisters’ disappearance are brought to justice. As we get closer to determining what transpired in 1975, we ask that you continue to keep this case in your thoughts.

We continue to urge anyone with information about this case to call the Montgomery County Police Department-Major Crimes Unit immediately at 240-773-5070.

RLI


Statement by Chief J. Thomas Manger:

“We are unable to provide additional information or comment on the content of the recently unsealed search warrants as this is still an ongoing and active investigation. Our Department and our partners in Virginia remain committed to determining what happened to Katherine and Sheila Lyon. We believe that there are people, including family members of Dick and Lloyd Welch, who have information that would further this investigation. Detectives are urging anyone with information to contact the Major Crimes Division immediately at 240-773-5070.”
Click to expand...

ATTENTION: Richard and anyone else that knows the answers to these questions:

1) What causes Search Warrants to BECOME PUBLIC?

2) How do we, the public, FIND OUT WHAT THE CONTENTS ARE FROM THE OPENED SEARCH WARRANTS?
 
simplifymylife2014 said:
ATTENTION: Richard and anyone else that knows the answers to these questions:

1) What causes Search Warrants to BECOME PUBLIC?

2) How do we, the public, FIND OUT WHAT THE CONTENTS ARE FROM THE OPENED SEARCH WARRANTS?
Click to expand...



Search warrants and the affidavits are matters of public record just like marriage licenses are. In most counties anyone can walk in off the street and ask to read the affidavits. In this case that is apparently what Dan Morse did down in Bedford County.
 
Falcon500 said:
Search warrants and the affidavits are matters of public record just like marriage licenses are. In most counties anyone can walk in off the street and ask to read the affidavits. In this case that is apparently what Dan Morse did down in Bedford County.
Click to expand...

1) Does that mean we can KNOW WHAT EXACTLY THEY FOUND AFTER THE SEARCH WARRANT?

2) Can we get that info online?
 
simplifymylife2014 said:
1) Does that mean we can KNOW WHAT EXACTLY THEY FOUND AFTER THE SEARCH WARRANT?

2) Can we get that info online?
Click to expand...


The "return" which is a a list of item(s) seized is also a matter of public record. I've never seen that online. It would be available at the courthouse where the search warrant is filed.
 
Search Warrants

It would be very interesting to see what houses or property were to be searched, and also what specific items the police hoped to find.

For instance, were items like tape recorders and microphones listed? Were they looking for security officer badges or uniforms? Were they seeking information on specific automobiles? Were they looking for letters or writings by specific persons, etc.

Were the Hyattsville houses that Richard Welch and Lloyd Welch lived in during 1975 included, or was it just the one Richard Welch currently owns?
 
Richard said:
Search Warrants

It would be very interesting to see what houses or property were to be searched, and also what specific items the police hoped to find.

For instance, were items like tape recorders and microphones listed? Were they looking for security officer badges or uniforms? Were they seeking information on specific automobiles? Were they looking for letters or writings by specific persons, etc.

Were the Hyattsville houses that Richard Welch and Lloyd Welch lived in during 1975 included, or was it just the one Richard Welch currently owns?
Click to expand...

Richard or anyone else: Do you still go to places like the courthouse to get information?
Would someone be willing to get that info and especially as Falcon500 said about getting the "return" to show WHAT THEY DID FIND?? Can that be copied and shared here?
 
​1) Would someone who knows comment on how we find out EXACTLY HOW MANY DOCUMENTS are NOW OPEN TO THE PUBLIC??

2) Can someone find out if it is public what was found from the Search Warrant at RAW1's home in Hyattsville, MD?

3) cgoodwin22: Any idea HOW WE CAN FIND OUT ALL THAT HAS BEEN OPENED FOR THE PUBLIC TO SEE AND HOW WE CAN GET THOSE DOCUMENTS TO SEE?

Thanks again for the wonderful link you posted yesterday!!
 
If a court seals something from the public, there is usually an expiration date, after which it can be made public. Most court proceedings are public information, unless they involve children, childrens' names, or subject matter that is sensitive enough to require orders from a judge not to discuss it. Journalists usually pounce on documents from high profile cases the minute they become public information.

The grand jury proceedings are sealed because they are part of an ongoing investigation, and at this stage, decisions about who to charge, and with what, have not been made. As soon as that happens, the information will not be "sensitive" anymore, and the public can inquire about it at the courthouse or possibly find it online.
 
I think what I remember about affidavits is that they are summary of information gathered about a case. This summary is information sworn to by a detective to a judge or magistrate.

Few of the crucial details are on the affidavit. The nuts and the bolts of the LLW interview with detectives will probably not come until a trial, but there may be greater details after the investigation has concluded.
 
simplifymylife2014 said:
​1) Would someone who knows comment on how we find out EXACTLY HOW MANY DOCUMENTS are NOW OPEN TO THE PUBLIC??

2) Can someone find out if it is public what was found from the Search Warrant at RAW1's home in Hyattsville, MD?

3) cgoodwin22: Any idea HOW WE CAN FIND OUT ALL THAT HAS BEEN OPENED FOR THE PUBLIC TO SEE AND HOW WE CAN GET THOSE DOCUMENTS TO SEE?

Thanks again for the wonderful link you posted yesterday!!
Click to expand...


The answer is at the Prince Georges County courthouse at Upper Marlboro, Md. Clerk of the Court 301-952-3318 800-937-1335.

They are not going to read the affidavit oe return to you but they should be able to tell you if its available for inspection.
 
AAWJ said:
I am looking for articles/links published in the 1970's? Can anyone help me?
Click to expand...

Any of the libraries in the metropolitan area should be able to help you with microfish or microfilm documents. You might even be able to cull more interesting information in order to print it. Also, while the Washington Star went out of business in 1981, you still may be able to find and contact any reporter whose contributions catch your interest. The Washington Post, as well. Westfield Wheaton may still have some memorabilia left over from it's days as Wheaton Plaza, and property records of the area surrounding Wheaton Plaza are also still public.
 
The Washington Post's archives are available through their website. You have to be a subscriber to access the archives. There is also also a service called Proquest that, among other databases, has every article ever printed in the Washington Post and New York Times. My county library system provides Proquest for free if you have a library card.
 
Just asked this in the other thread but noticed there is now a Q&A thread. If the telephone conversations have been recorded is that admissible as evidence at the trial of Patricia Welch and any subsequent trials? If anyone knows if you could answer that would be great. Thank you.
 
gregjrichards said:
Just asked this in the other thread but noticed there is now a Q&A thread. If the telephone conversations have been recorded is that admissible as evidence at the trial of Patricia Welch and any subsequent trials? If anyone knows if you could answer that would be great. Thank you.
Click to expand...


If there was a court order to record the calls then they would be admissible. There is no way that the police would do a wiretap operation in such a sensitive case without a judge's permission.
 
gregjrichards said:
Just asked this in the other thread but noticed there is now a Q&A thread. If the telephone conversations have been recorded is that admissible as evidence at the trial of Patricia Welch and any subsequent trials? If anyone knows if you could answer that would be great. Thank you.
Click to expand...

Generally not. The defendants would have had to be warned before such information could be used as evidence in court. It would, however; provide probably cause for a search warrant.

Any evidence that the Welch's council feels was gotten improperly can also be challenged in court, and the judge can rule against it's use by the prosecution.
 
siriunsun said:
Any of the libraries in the metropolitan area should be able to help you with microfish or microfilm documents. You might even be able to cull more interesting information in order to print it. Also, while the Washington Star went out of business in 1981, you still may be able to find and contact any reporter whose contributions catch your interest. The Washington Post, as well. Westfield Wheaton may still have some memorabilia left over from it's days as Wheaton Plaza, and property records of the area surrounding Wheaton Plaza are also still public.
Click to expand...

In regard to microfilm copies of news articles, there are some libraries which are better equipped than others in this regard, such as actually holding microfilm files of various newspapers, but as stated by siriunsun any of the libraries could assist you in locating them. Most libraries have microfilm readers, but not the entire file of films.

One of the best libraries that I have found in the DC metropolitan area is the library on Adelphi Road in Hyattsville, Maryland, just north of highway 410. It has numerous newspaper files on microfilm, including those of the Washington Post and Washington Star. It also has files of the local weekly newspapers of the area.

The problem with searching microfilms is that it is very time consuming and has to be done at the library, cranking through page by page. Be sure to bring your reading glasses! When you find an article of interest, you can (if you are using the right type of reader) enlarge and print out a photo copy for later study.

The Washington Post on-line can be used to assist you in this type of microfilm search. By sorting on your computer, you can get a list of articles of interest which includes date and page number. Also, there are printed catalog books available with index listings of subject which will help in your search for older articles. The Computer searches might go back much further now than they did a few years ago as older articles have been included in the on-line files. I recall being able to get on-line listings back to the 1980's and having to use the published book index for older ones.

The Washington Star had some very good articles on the Lyon Case and followed it closely. Unfortunately, it did go out of business before news articles started to appear on-line, so you will have to do a lot more digging to find those articles. I have typed in some of those by hand for this topic, and have included them in the news articles thread. One of the best articles is the one from the Star by Mary Anne Kuhn.

One thing to keep in mind when searching the old newspaper microfilm files that back in 1975 papers came out with two or even three editions per day and as a result, the same story might appear in successive editions in slightly different form or on a different page. So, when it appears that you are looking at the same day's paper over again, consider the possibility that it was a later edition which might contain a new or different article.

This was true when I was looking for sketches of the TRM to print out. The sketches in some editions or filmings were better than others because of newsprint "bleed-through" or wrinkles, etc. The sketches of TRM seen on the Doenetwork files and other websites came from Microfilm files of the Washington Post and Washnington Star which I copied at the Adelphi Road library.
 
Quote Originally Posted by simplifymylife2014

"If I am not mistaken, isn't today, February 4, 2015,
the day that PW goes to court with her attorney regarding
lying to the grand jury?"

RichardLewis said:
She received a continuance for today's date. It is rescheduled for April 27, 2015 at 1:30pm.
Click to expand...

Update: The alleged perjuring Patricia Welch was supposed to have her day in court this coming Monday, April 27, 2015. Not too much of a surprise that her wily lawyer Mr. Pilgreen has cleverly maneuvered to kick the can down the road until 6/29/2015. Just like death and taxes, her day is coming. Just get on with it already, Pat.
 
Where did you get this info from?
Update: The alleged perjuring Patricia Welch was supposed to have her day in court this coming Monday, April 27, 2015. Not too much of a surprise that her wily lawyer Mr. Pilgreen has cleverly maneuvered to kick the can down the road until 6/29/2015. Just like death and taxes, her day is coming. Just get on with it already, Pat.
RichardLewis said:
Quote Originally Posted by simplifymylife2014

"If I am not mistaken, isn't today, February 4, 2015,
the day that PW goes to court with her attorney regarding
lying to the grand jury?"



Update: The alleged perjuring Patricia Welch was supposed to have her day in court this coming Monday, April 27, 2015. Not too much of a surprise that her wily lawyer Mr. Pilgreen has cleverly maneuvered to kick the can down the road until 6/29/2015. Just like death and taxes, her day is coming. Just get on with it already, Pat.
Click to expand...
 
AAWJ said:
Where did you get this info from?
Update: The alleged perjuring Patricia Welch was supposed to have her day in court this coming Monday, April 27, 2015. Not too much of a surprise that her wily lawyer Mr. Pilgreen has cleverly maneuvered to kick the can down the road until 6/29/2015. Just like death and taxes, her day is coming. Just get on with it already, Pat.
Click to expand...


Probably from the Commonwealth of Virginia's website. It's public information. If she actually didn't do anything wrong or unlawful, the delay tactics are curious.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

DNASolves

Who is Escambia County John Doe (1989)?

Staff online

Members online

... and 206 more.
Total: 3,737 (members: 207, guests: 3,530)

Online statistics

Members online
207
Guests online
3,530
Total visitors
3,737
Totals may include hidden visitors.

Forum statistics

Threads
591,826
Messages
17,959,637
Members
228,621
Latest member
MaryEllen77
Back
Top