The Lansing Police Department announced Monday, Oct. 12, that investigators had resolved the 2009 homicide of 19-year-old Edric Hinton, who was fatally shot in Lansing 17 years earlier.
On Aug. 1, 2009, officers responded to a report of a shooting at a local apartment complex. They found Hinton, who died from a gunshot wound in the hospital less than 30 minutes later.
The Lansing Police Department determined that the weapon used was likely a shotgun, and that the shot was 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 the methods that we use to solve crimes,” Lansing Police Chief Robert Backus said. “Ultimately, we ran out of evidence.”
The case went cold, and was assigned to Detective Shannon Thielen in 2019.
“As the cold case detective, I always carry hope that, over time, somebody will have a change of heart and will come forward with the answers that we’re desperately looking for,” Thielen said. “That’s exactly what happened in this case."
Thielen said that a witness came forward with firsthand knowledge of the murder, including the location where the murder weapon, a 12-gauge shotgun, was buried.
In fall 2025, crime scene investigators located the weapon and other corroborating evidence. According to Thielen, the shotgun shells found at the crime scene were fired from the shotgun.
The suspected shooter, Esteban Reyes Jr., and the getaway driver, Lee Anthony Lynn, are both deceased.
“While this means that no criminal charges can be brought forward, the recovery of the weapon, the forensic confirmation and the corroborating statement allow us to provide answers to the Hinton family that they’ve waited too long for,” Thielen said.
Hinton’s twin brother, Eric Hinton, spoke on behalf of the family Monday.
“This is not the outcome that we wanted, but this is the best one that we’re going to get,” he said. “I appreciate that we now can end the 17 years of suffering and now just be able to grieve my brother and celebrate him in the best way possible without the stain of not knowing, because that’s been the hardest part.”
Eric said he hopes he and his family can live lighter and freer with the resolution.
“I'm a big planner. So, over the years, I had always wondered what 21 would look like for us, and what 30 and 40 would actually look like,” he said. "My 40th is coming around here in a few years, so I plan to throw us a birthday party, and hopefully put some aspects that he would have enjoyed for that too.”
If you have information on an ongoing Lansing police investigation, you can call 517-483-7867 or leave a tip online. All tips are anonymous.