In the ongoing investigation of the 40-year-old case of Lyon sisters Sheila, 12, and Katharine, 10, convicted child molester Lloyd Welch, 58, and his uncle Richard Welch, 69, have been considered by the authorities "persons of interest."
In his confession to multiple detectives, Lloyd said he abducted the Lyon sisters of Wheaton on Taylor's Mountain in Bedford, Va., from Wheaton Plaza Shopping Center and dropped them off at his home but later on, he said he saw his uncle Richard sexually assaulting one of the two girls, according to the newly unsealed court documents cited by The Washington Post.
On March 25, 1975, the Lyon sisters walked to Wheaton Plaza but never returned home. Lloyd, who used to be a carnival worker, has claimed he had nothing to do with the disappearance of the Lyon sisters while his uncle has declined to comment. Neither currently faces charges at the moment.
With the Lyon sisters still missing after four decades, the case has been considered one of the most painful unsolved crimes of the Washington region.
Wheaton Plaza is now called Westfield Wheaton Mall, where a group of people staged a "die-in" demonstration in the afternoon of Jan. 1 to protest against "unjust police brutality towards minorities," WUSA 9 reported.
According to the organizers, the protest is part of the Black Lives Matter movement and they chose Wheaton Mall not only because it is accessible to Metro but also because it is a good location for them to be seen by many people.
Only one person, a woman, was arrested during the protest. Police said ahe was arrested for trespassing and disturbing the peace.