Maryland

Woman Charged in Lyon Sisters Case Enters Alford Plea

A Maryland woman charged with lying to a grand jury investigating the 1975 disappearance of two sisters entered an Alford plea Tuesday. 

Patricia Welch received a suspended sentence of two years, a $1,000 fine and five years unsupervised good behavior, Bedford County Commonwealth Attorney Wes Nance told News4.

Twelve-year-old Sheila and 10-year-old Katherine Lyon were last seen on March 25, 1975, at the Wheaton Plaza Mall near their home in Wheaton, Maryland. 

Prosecutors believe Lloyd Welch kidnapped the young girls, killed them and buried their burned remains on family property in the mountains of Bedford, Virginia. Lloyd Welch is the only person who has been charged in the case. 

Prosecutors have called Patricia Welch's husband, Richard Welch, "the prime focus'' in the case, but he has not been charged.

Nance told the judge that prosecutors have phone records and audio recordings of Patricia Welch talking to witnesses and urging them not to cooperate with investigators.

Patricia Welch had denied talking to witnesses when questioned before a grand jury in December 2014. 

An Alford plea allows the defendant to maintain their innocence while acknowledging prosecutors have enough evidence to gain a conviction. 

Patricia Welch’s daughter, Patricia Ann Welch, told News 4 her mother never told anyone not to cooperate.

"She simply told people they didn’t have to talk to anyone they didn’t any to talk to,” Patricia Ann Welch said.

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