LANSING, Mich. — The Lansing Police Department said Monday it has resolved the 2009 killing of 19-year-old Edric Hinton, identifying two suspects who are both deceased, so no criminal charges can be brought.
Hinton was shot on Aug. 1, 2009, in the 900 block of West Cavanaugh Road when someone fired a shotgun into an apartment from outside. Officers found him suffering from gunshot wounds; he was pronounced dead less than 30 minutes after arriving at a hospital.
Cold case Detective Shannon Thielen said a confidential tip from someone with firsthand knowledge led investigators to a location where a 12-gauge shotgun believed used in the killing was buried. In fall 2025, crime scene investigators recovered the shotgun and other evidence.
Michigan State Police Crime Lab testing matched shell casings from the scene to the recovered shotgun. Thielen identified the suspected shooter as Esteban Reyes Jr. and the suspected driver as Lee Anthony Lynn. Both men are now dead.
Police Chief Robert Backus said early detectives developed suspects and pursued warrants and forensics before they ran out of new evidence. Thielen began reviewing the file in 2019 and credited Michigan State University cold case interns who helped organize materials.
Thielen said Hinton was an innocent bystander. Family members said the outcome is not what they wanted but that they can now end years of uncertainty. Both identified suspects are dead, meaning prosecutors cannot bring charges in Hinton death.