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Jed Boal Reporting A South Jordan teenager was nearly beaten to death 10 days ago. Now, his father wants witnesses to step up and help put the attackers in jail.
"It's just amazing how cruel and brutal kids are becoming," the victim's father says.
The teenager was beaten and left for dead in a Herriman neighborhood. There are questions as to whether he was brutalized with a big city gang technique known as curbing.
The father wants answers and justice.
Gavin Lyon is back in critical care at the University of Utah Medical Center tonight. He went home Saturday, but his severe head injuries got worse again. His father hopes a reward will get witnesses to talk.
Jeff Lyon/Victim's Father: "It's infuriating to see someone you love literally stomped almost to death."
That's what happened to Jeff Lyon's son, Gavin. Early Saturday morning, October 21st, he was heading home from a party.
Jeff Lyon/Victim's Father: "It's not anything about having a fair fight. They just gang up and pound on him."
He was left with multiple skull fractures. The father, family and supportive friends wait for him to heal.
Jeff Lyon/Victim's Father: "There's a lot of outrage, a lot of people who are emotional about this and really want to see justice done."
The father says talk at the school swirls around curbing, depicted in a 1998 movie called American History X.
Lyon suspects alcohol fueled an after-party fight, and it escalated.
Curbing is a way to beat someone by putting their mouth on the curb, and stomping on the back of their head.
Jeff Lyon/Victim's Father: "We're not positive that's what happened, but every indication we have is that he had his face stomped into the concrete."
Sheriff's investigators say they have no evidence to support a curbing, and say Gavin Lyon has not cooperated.
The father says his son is on morphine, becoming angry and frustrated. They don't want to press him yet.
The victim's father hopes a 10-thousand dollar reward pushes the right people to tell the truth.
Jeff Lyon/Victim's Father: "You go through the high school out at Bingham High, and everybody knows who did this. We're tired of the hearsay. We want somebody to step up and be willing to help bring these guys to justice."
Investigators are working the case. Gang cops and other departments say they have not heard of other curbing incidents in Utah.
If you have any information in the case, call the Salt Lake County Sheriff's office at 743-5950.
