The disappearance of eight-month-old Amiah Robertson began on March 9, 2019, in Indianapolis, Indiana. On that day, she was last seen with her mother's boyfriend, Robert Lyons, at the home of a babysitter. Lyons left with Amiah around 1:15 p.m. in a maroon 1996 Isuzu Rodeo. He returned about nine hours later without the infant. Amiah's mother, Amber Robertson, did not immediately report her daughter missing, believing she was supposed to spend the night with the babysitter. It wasn9;t until a week later, on March 16, that Amber Robertson contacted the police. Her call was not initially to report a missing child, but to report that Lyons had struck her with his car during an argument over Amiah's whereabouts. This was the first time law enforcement was made aware that the infant was missing.
The investigation into Amiah's disappearance was complicated from the start by conflicting information from witnesses and family members. Initially, police were led to believe Amiah was last seen on March 14, but later determined the correct date was March 9. By March 23, 2019, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department announced they were treating the case as a homicide investigation. Investigators questioned both Amber Robertson and Robert Lyons, who gave several possible locations for Amiah, some of which did not exist. Searches were conducted, and some of Amiah's belongings were discovered on the banks of Eagle Creek, but the child was not found. A witness later reported seeing Amiah with her mother, Lyons, and the babysitter at a hotel, and recalled seeing a photo of the baby with bruises on her face. The witness also noted that an infant car seat and a pack-n-play were left behind when the group checked out.
Years after her disappearance, in September 2022, a grand jury indicted both Amber Robertson and Robert Lyons on felony charges of neglect of a dependent. The indictment alleged they knowingly placed Amiah in a dangerous situation that resulted in bodily injury. In April 2024, Robert Lyons pleaded guilty to one count of neglect of a dependent resulting in serious bodily injury as part of a plea agreement. He was subsequently sentenced to 10 years in prison. During his sentencing, Lyons was asked about Amiah's whereabouts but did not provide any information. In June 2024, Amber Robertson also accepted a plea deal, pleading guilty to neglect of a dependent. She was sentenced to time served, having spent 20 months in jail, and will be on probation. Amiah Robertson is presumed deceased, but her body has never been recovered. The case remains a painful and unresolved tragedy for those who cared for her, with her paternal grandfather expressing his belief that both Robertson and Lyons know what happened to his granddaughter.
Last Seen: Mar 09, 2019
