In the summer of 2020, the life of 23-year-old Kaylee L. Lyons was tragically cut short in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. On July 30, 2020, authorities responded to a call for a cardiac arrest at her home and found Lyons with a fatal gunshot wound to the head. She was rushed to Hershey Medical Center, where she succumbed to her injuries the following day. At the time of her death, Lyons was six weeks pregnant.
The investigation into her death quickly led to a suspect: Davone Unique Anderson, then 25, with whom Lyons had been romantically involved and shared a son. The case took a darker turn as investigators linked Anderson to another recent homicide. Just 25 days earlier, on July 5, 2020, another woman, Sydney Parmelee, was also found shot to death in the very same home. Parmelee was also in a relationship with Anderson and was the mother of two of his children.
During the investigation, Anderson confessed to killing both women. He admitted to police that he had killed Parmelee because he believed she was cheating on him. His motive for killing Lyons was rooted in fear; he believed she was aware of his involvement in Parmelee's murder and was afraid she would go to the police. Anderson was subsequently charged with two counts of first-degree murder, one count of first-degree murder of an unborn child, and other related charges.
In May 2022, a Cumberland County jury found Davone Anderson guilty on all charges. The jury sentenced him to death for the murder of Kaylee Lyons. For the murder of Sydney Parmelee, the jury could not unanimously agree on a death sentence, resulting in a life sentence without the possibility of parole for that crime. The judge formally imposed the death sentence for Lyons' murder on May 31, 2022.
