The man charged with killing the Lyon sisters more than 40 years ago entered guilty pleas today in Bedford Court. Lloyd Welch, Jr. was then sentenced to 48 years in prison. Outside the courtroom, Bedford County Commonwealth’s Attorney Wes Nance thanked the many federal, state and local agencies that worked together to lead to this day:
Welch is accused of kidnapping the 10 and 12-year-old sisters from a Washington D.C.-area shopping mall, then burning their bodies in Bedford County. The girls’ remains were never recovered. Their father, John Lyon, spoke outside the courtroom:
Welch will not begin serving this sentence until 2026, when he completes another sentence for a separate sexual assault case in Delaware — and he will be 69 years old at that time.
