Tip leads to 19-year-old man's murder in Lansing being solved 17 years later
Edric Hinton was 19 years old when he was gunned down in Lansing in 2009. At the time, police said the firearm used in the shooting — a shotgun — had not been recovered.
But nearly 20 years later, the case got a breakthrough when investigators received a tip about the weapon.
"I met with an individual with firsthand knowledge that shared with them directly by the involved parties. This interview produced a significant lead that identified an area where the murder weapon, a 12-gauge shotgun, was believed to have been buried," Detective Shannon Thielen said, adding that Hinton was an innocent bystander.
Thielen, Police Chief Robert Backus, investigators and Hinton's family spoke at a press conference on Monday to announce the latest development.
According to Lansing police, officers responded to the 900 block of W. Cavanaugh Road on Aug 1, 2009. Police Chief Robert Backus said officers found Hinton suffering from gunshot wounds. He was taken to a hospital and was pronounced dead less than 30 minutes later, Backus said.
Hinton's family says he had just finished up a shift at a local McDonald's restaurant and was visiting friends at the apartment complex.
Backus says the initial investigation determined that the shooter fired into the apartment from outside.
"As the investigation proceeded, our detectives located witnesses, they developed suspects and they followed through with other methods through search warrants, forensic analysis, all of the processes and methods that we use to solve crimes," said Backus. "Ultimately, we ran out of evidence. We ran out of new information to move this case forward."
Thielen, who began reviewing the case in 2019, said she crossed paths with someone and built rapport with them. She said after receiving information about the suspected weapon, investigators conducted a search in 2025 and uncovered the shotgun and other evidence.
A forensic analysis helped identify Esteban Reyes Jr. as the shooter and Lee Anthony Lynn as the driver. Thielen said both suspects are dead.
"It's been a hard 17 years," said Eric Hinton, the victim's twin brother. "This is not the outcome that we wanted, but this is the best one that we're going to get, and I appreciate that we can now end the 17 years of suffering and now just be able to grieve my brother and celebrate him in the best way possible."
Hinton's father, Ulysses Hinton, described his son as a "beautiful person" who was proud of his job at McDonald's. Eric Hinton says his brother loved sports, specifically the Tennessee Titans, some of his favorite players being Steve McNair, Eddie George and basketball legend Pete Maravich.
The family commended investigators for working to solve the case. They urged people to come forward if they had information that could solve a case.
"Just do the right thing," Eric Hinton said. "When we allow murderers to walk the street, that's a reflection of us, and we can do something about it."
