Mother, boyfriend facing charges in disappearance of baby Amiah Robertson
Update: Police announced late Sept. 13, 2022 that Robert Lyons was in custody and being held at the Adult Detention Center after turning himself in to authorities.
A grand jury has indicted Robert Lyons and Amber Robertson for their alleged roles in the disappearance of 8-month-old Amiah Robertson, according to Indianapolis prosecutors and police.
The indictment, returned last week, comes more than three years after Amiah Robertson's disappearance, which sparked a mammoth investigation and worry throughout the community.
"This case was a monster in terms of the number of witnesses, the amount of evidence, the complexity of the case involved," Prosecutor Ryan Mears said. He credited detectives and and deputy prosecutors for the charges in the case.
Who is baby Amiah?
Amiah Robertson was last seen alive March 9, 2019 at 1:15 p.m. in a home on the 200 block of South Holmes Avenue on Indianapolis’ west side.
The infant was thought to be with Lyons, who was Amber Robertson’s boyfriend at the time. Lyons, 23, is believed to have left with the child then stayed on the southwest side of the city until 10 p.m. before returning without the baby.
Her family reported the baby missing March 16, days after police believe she was last seen.
To this day, investigators have not found the child's body.
Amber Robertson, 23, is in custody but Lyons was being sought Monday morning. Investigators asked him to surrender during a news conference.
What charges are Amber Robertson and Robert Lyons facing
Amber Robertson and Lyons were indicted on several charges of neglect of a dependent.
Both are facing charges of neglect of a dependent resulting in serious bodily injury (Level 3 felony), neglect of a dependent resulting in bodily injury (Level 5 felony), neglect of a dependent with deprivation (Level 5 felony) and neglect of a dependent (Level 6 felony). Each charge carries a maximum sentence of six years, with the exception of neglect of a dependent, which ranges from six months to 2 ⅟₂ years.
When asked if prosecutors pursued murder charges, Mears declined to say due to the confidentiality of the grand jury process. He noted jurors declined to indict the duo on two additional charges, which also were not disclosed.
Where is Baby Amiah?
Indianapolis police on Monday said the search to find Amiah Robertson is far from over.
Kendale Adams, deputy chief of police, said investigators last week searched with rescue dogs to follow-up on a tip in the case, but it didn't lead to anything pertinent.
"This case is not over," Adams said. "It will continue as leads continue to come in."
Adams, however, asked the community to come forward with "legitimate" information versus theories, echoing similar frustrations voiced by police officials in previous news conferences about the case.
“This case is not over. We will continue to chase down all leads.” - IMPD Deputy Chief Kendale Adams.
This morning IMPD joined @MCProsecutors to give an update on 8-month-old Amiah Robertson after a grand jury indicted her mother, Amber Robertson and Robert Lyons. pic.twitter.com/gEX7ve5PdO— IMPD (@IMPDnews) September 12, 2022
Contact Sarah Nelson at 317-503-7514 or sarah.nelson@indystar.com
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indianapolis mother, boyfriend indicted in disappearance of 8-month-old baby
