On a spring day in Renton, Washington, April 20, 1971, six-year-old Bradley Lyons, a Caucasian male, was playing near his home with his friend, Scott Andrews, who was also six. The two boys were last seen around 11:15 a.m. that morning. When they did not return home, a search began for the two children. The community's hope turned to horror two days later when their bodies were discovered in a wooded area about two miles from where they were last seen.
The investigation into their deaths
revealed a brutal scene. Both boys had been beaten in the face. Bradley Lyons had been strangled with a ligature, while Scott Andrews had sustained multiple stab wounds to his chest. The discovery sent a wave of fear through the small town, which was already on edge from other recent unsolved murders. The search for the person responsible for such a heinous act became a top priority for law enforcement.
A significant breakthrough in the case came when a blood-stained hunting knife was found near the crime scene. The name "Tom Evenson" was engraved on the handle, which led detectives on a path to trace its ownership. The investigation revealed the knife had been passed through several hands before it was acquired by an 18-year-old Renton resident named Gary Gene Grant. Further evidence began to mount against Grant. Footprints found at the scene of the crime were a match to the tennis shoes he was wearing when he was eventually apprehended.
On April 30, 1971, authorities arrested Gary Gene Grant at his home. During his interrogation, Grant initially claimed to have amnesia but later confessed to the murders of Bradley Lyons and Scott Andrews. His confession did not stop there; he also admitted to killing 19-year-old Carol Adele Erickson in December 1969 and 17-year-old Joanne Mary Zulauf in September 1970. The confessions were legally recorded, and the physical evidence, including the knife and the matching shoe prints, corroborated his involvement.
Gary Gene Grant's trial began on August 12, 1971. His defense argued that he was insane. However, after a psychiatric evaluation, he was determined to be sane but emotionally unstable with impulsive behaviors. On August 25, 1971, a jury found him guilty on all counts. He was subsequently sentenced to four consecutive life terms in prison without the possibility of parole.
