The mother of the Oklahoma girl who tragically stabbed her younger brother to death earlier this year while in a state of “demonic” rage continues to support her daughter despite the horrific incident.
April Lyda, the devastated mother, provided an update on her family recently. Her 12-year-old daughter, whose identity has not been disclosed publicly, fatally stabbed her 9-year-old brother, Zander, in the chest on January 5 at their residence in Tulsa’s St. Thomas Square neighborhood.
WARNING Graphic and Disturbing Police Body Camera Footage:
Speaking about her daughter’s progress since the tragedy, April Lyda stated, “During the entire six months that she has been away, living with other family members, she has shown exemplary behavior. I am very supportive of her and love her deeply.”
However, she acknowledged that both of them require extensive healing before they can live together again. Her daughter will also need mental and emotional assistance due to the potential long-term effects of the incident, which are yet to be fully understood.
April Lyda emphasized that the siblings had a loving relationship and always got along until the tragic end. She expressed that intentionally causing harm to each other was never a part of their dynamic. Furthermore, she mentioned that her daughter did not have any behavioral issues prior to the attack.
Nevertheless, April Lyda admitted that her daughter had recently resumed taking a medication that she had stopped using for over a year.
She chose not to disclose the specific type of medication but clarified that it was not for psychiatric purposes. After her daughter started self-harming, the medication was discontinued, but unfortunately, it was too late to prevent the tragedy.
April Lyda’s updated statement on the GoFundMe page, which had already raised over $10,000 toward its $15,000 goal, coincided with the release of edited bodycam footage from the night of the attack.
In the distressing footage, the 12-year-old repeatedly apologized, stating that she was overwhelmed by “demonic” circumstances. Zander was pronounced dead at 2:30 a.m.
Expressing her sense of failure toward both her son and daughter, April Lyda criticized the release of the footage by authorities, deeming it unlawful and inappropriate.
She urged people not to believe everything they see or hear online or from strangers who are unfamiliar with her or her family. Asserting her rights, she stated that she would not still have custody of her surviving children if she had been negligent in any way.
Due to the perpetrator’s age, the Tulsa District Attorney’s Office refrained from disclosing any information about the case, including the charges the girl might face.
Tragically, Zander’s death is not the family’s sole encounter with severe violence. In 2017, the boy’s non-biological father, Levi Lyda, faced charges of felony animal abuse in Missouri for allegedly torturing his stepdaughter’s kitten to death. Levi, who admitted to being heavily intoxicated at the time, claimed that he killed the cat because he believed it burdened the family.
He ultimately accepted a plea deal that substituted jail time with substance abuse treatment. However, it was reported by the Daily Mail that Levi was involved in an altercation with another inmate, resulting in the latter sustaining a “moderate brain injury.”
Although Levi is not the biological father of the 12-year-old girl, April revealed that he treated her as if she were his own. She explained that the girl spends a significant amount of time with Zander’s father and grandmother, who also consider her their daughter and granddaughter, respectively.
