INDIANAPOLIS — A Marion County grand jury has indicted an Indianapolis mother and her former boyfriendon neglect charges in the case of missing baby Amiah Robertson, who was last seen alive more than three years ago.
Amber Robertson, 23, faces four counts of neglect of a dependent stemming from the disappearance of her daughter, according to the indictment filed Friday.
The indictment alleges Amber Robertson knowingly placed her daughter in a dangerous situation or "cruelly confined Amiah Robertson and/or deprived (her) of necessary support" and "deprived (her) of necessary food, water or sanitary facilities." The actions resulted in serious bodily injury to the child, according to the indictment.
The indictment lists Robert Lyons, Robertson's former boyfriend, as a co-defendant. Lyons was arrested Tuesday.
Here's everything we know about the case of Amiah Robertson.
Amiah goes missing
Amiah, 8 months, was last seen March 9, 2019, with her mother's then-boyfriend, Robert Lyons, at a home in the 200 block of South Holmes Avenue.
Amber Robertson, the girl's mother, told detectives that her boyfriend Robert Lyons had taken the infant to the babysitter.
Detectives at the time said they believe Lyons drove a 1996 maroon Isuzu Rodeo in "poor condition" and had spent an extended amount of time in the area of Rockville Road and South Mickley Avenue before he returned to Amber, without Amiah, about 10 p.m.
Amiah was not reported missing until March 16.
Silver Alert issued
Indiana State Police issued a Silver Alert for Amiah Robertson on March 19, 2019 — 10 days after the child was last seen. Detectives said the investigation was hampered because they received conflicting statements from witnesses and family. Police issued a missing person advisory and asked for the public to help them find baby Amiah.
The Silver Alert was canceled on March 21.
The search
Detectives conducted several searches of the babysitter's home in the 200 block of South Holmes Avenue. They spent two days in April 2019 searching the Holmes Avenue home. Investigators dug up the backyard and searched with cadaver dogs, but they did not find Amiah's body.
Investigators also searched the White River, an apartment complex pond and other locations where Lyons said Amiah "should have been."
Detectives said some of the places where Lyons told them the baby might be found did not exist.
Homicide investigation
Detectives announced during a press conference on March 23, 2019, that the search for missing baby Amiah was now a homicide investigation.
Detectives said they had received conflicting statements from Lyons and Amber Robertson. Investigators said during this news conference that Lyons had been "taunting" Amiah's mother about where the infant might be found.
Mother pleads for help
Amiah's mother, Amber, spoke to the media on April 30, 2019, and issued a plea for her daughter's return. "I feel my daughter is still out there," she said ."If you have my daughter, please bring her home."
Grand jury indictments
More than three years after Amiah Robertson disappeared, a Marion County grand jury on Sept. 9 indicted Amber Robertson and Robert Lyons on felony charges of neglect of a dependent stemming from Amiah's disappearance.
The indictment alleges Robertson and Lyons knowingly placed Amiah in a situation that endangered the child's life and resulted in serious bodily injury.
The maximum sentence if convicted of the most serious offense is 16 years in prison, prosecutors said.
Robertson, 23, was held in the Marion County Jail on Monday. Lyons was arrested Tuesday.
Contact WRTV reporter Vic Ryckaert at victor.ryckaert@wrtv.com or on Twitter: @vicryc.
