Mom's Boyfriend Named Suspect In Missing Indianapolis 8-Month-Old

INDIANAPOLIS, IN — One week after an eight-month-old girl was reported missing in Indianapolis, the case has been classified as a homicide investigation and her mother’s boyfriend has been named as a suspect, according to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department.

Police say Amiah Robertson, the baby, was last seen alive at around 1:15 P.M. on March 9 with Robert Lyons, the 20-year-old boyfriend of her 19-year-old mother, Amber Robertson.

Lyons reportedly picked up Amiah from a babysitter, and then arrived at Amber’s residence hours later without the infant. The following day, Lyons reportedly “taunted” Amber in regard to the baby’s whereabouts. Amber did not report Amiah missing, however, until March 16.

Last week, a tip led police to discover some of Amiah’s “items” along a riverbank.

On March 23, the IMPD held a press conference to announce that Amiah’s case had been changed from a missing person investigation to a homicide investigation, and that Robert Lyons was a suspect. The police also said that Lyons was being cooperative.

Detective Jeannie Burket said Lyons gave police several locations where he thought the baby “should be alive and okay,” but investigators did not find her at any of them. In fact, Burket added, “Some places she was said to be by Roberts do not exist.”

On Monday, IMPD officers and local firefighters searched a pond outside the Mariner’s Village Aparments on the northwest side of the city. Law enforcement sources reportedly confirmed to the press that the search was in connection to Amiah.

Talking to a reporter, IMPD Lieutenant Bruce Smith said, “I think that we all hope for the best always, but I think that we can't ignore the reality of the situation. Amiah cannot take care of herself. And absent somebody else who is currently taking care of her that hasn't come forward, we are very concerned about what happened to her."

Anyone with information is asked to call IMPD Missing Persons detectives at (317) 327-6160 or (317) 327-3811 or Crime Stoppers of Central Indiana at (317) 262-8477.

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