Murder suspects tentatively set to return Saturday
By By William F. West / community editor
Aug. 30, 2002
Sheriff Billy Sollie said two men charged with capital murder in the death of Stanley Lyles are tentatively set to return to Meridian on Saturday after being arrested in Kentucky last week.
Sollie said Thursday Eric Michael Thomas, 20, 401 55th Ave. in Meridian, and Jonathan Richard Davis, 18, a Marine at Naval Air Station Meridian, will be flown by private aircraft.
Lauderdale County deputies will make the trip and also pick up alleged evidence in the case.
Deputies found Lyles, 47, dead late on the night of Aug. 23 in his house on Sneed Road, just off Old Eighth Street Road west of Meridian.
A Kentucky trooper earlier in the day had detained Thomas and Davis, both of whom were involved in an accident earlier that afternoon in Lyles' sport utility vehicle on Interstate 75.
The trooper investigated further, became suspicious and contacted the Lauderdale County Sheriff's Department.
Earlier this week, Sollie's department arrested a third suspect, Rosemary Para, 20, also of NAS Meridian. Para was charged with accessory after the fact of burglary.
Sollie said that an autopsy report concluded Lyles died as a result of a homicide. He said the report showed that Lyles sustained numerous stab wounds over most of the body.
The sheriff said several pieces of evidence collected at the crime scene, including possible weapons, have been given to the state Crime Lab for analysis.
Sollie said Para and one of the other two suspects will not talk with officers unless they have an attorney. He said he isn't sure whether the third suspect has requested an attorney.
The sheriff said the three will be provided legal representation by the county should they be found to be indigent.
Sollie said his department suffered a couple of setbacks this week in arranging private aircraft for the extradition.
He said his department attempted to coordinate with two sources, but found both had prior arrangements. He said the two were volunteering their time to help.
Instead, the Sheriff's Department will pay an estimated cost of less than $1,000, Sollie said.
