THE DARK SIDE OF NEBRASKA
Arthur Lyle
#44360
photo courtesy NDCS
Full Name: Arthur Lyle
DOB: May 26, 1941
Charge: 1st degree murder
County: Douglas
City: Omaha
Current Status: Tecumseh State Correctional Institution
Date of Crime: August 2, 1992
Victim: John Gould
DOB: May 26, 1941
Charge: 1st degree murder
County: Douglas
City: Omaha
Current Status: Tecumseh State Correctional Institution
Date of Crime: August 2, 1992
Victim: John Gould
On August 2, 1992, Arthur Lyle went to a nursing home to visit his mother. With him were his two grandsons. When he arrived at the home, his younger brother, John Gould, and John's wife, were already there seated with the mother at a table on the patio. After some small talk, John, his wife, and Lyle began talking about the mother's property because it appeared she would remain at the home indefinitely.
They first talked about the mother's house and what they should do with it. John proposed that Lyle take it; however, Lyle was not interested and suggested that the family sell the house and pay off it's liens with the proceeds. John's wife disagreed and accused Lyle of not doing anything for his mother. Lyle then contended that John and his wife had moved all of his things out of the mother's house and locked the garage without telling him.
As the discussion turned to Lyle's possessions in the garage, he called John's wife a "bitch." John stood up and told Lyle that he couldn't call his wife those names, but Lyle again repeated the derogatory name. The wife testified that a fight then broke out, but she did not see who threw the first punch. A nurse's aide first heard the men arguing loudly and then heard a loud thud. When he looked out a resident's window, he saw the brother's fighting and John straddling Lyle on the ground. When the aide ran out onto the patio to break up the fight, John's wife told them it was over. According to her, the initial fighting was "a lot of wrestling around and pushing and shoving kind of thing, and it didn't last very long at all."
The brothers were getting up when Lyle threw a punch hitting John in the jaw. John reacted by pushing Lyle over a concrete railing onto the grass, approximately 4 feet below. Lyle asserts that John struck him first, hitting him in the jaw, and that John continued to hit Lyle when he fell on the ground after the first blow. Lyle claims not to have landed any blows on John.
Lyle lay on the grass for about 10 to 12 seconds, then got up and headed toward his car, followed by his grandsons. The aide noticed Lyle's glasses on the table and took them over to him. When he gave Lyle the glasses, Lyle appeared angry and told the aide that he was coming back.
After Lyle left the home, he drove his grandsons to a convenience store and without ever getting out of his car, returned to the home about 20 minutes later. The aide testified that his work was interrupted again when he heard people yelling, "He's coming back. He's driving up the grass." John's wife said she saw Lyle drive at a high rate of speed and proceed to drive across the lawn to the front porch.
Lyle retrieved a gun which he kept under the front passenger seat of the vehicle and began running toward the porch yelling, "Here, you mother fucker," and immediately started firing. In the meantime, the aide had come running. When he heard the shots, he stopped at the main entrance. John's wife headed toward the main entrance when the shooting began to tell the aide that Lyle had a gun and to call the police. She heard some initial shots, saw Lyle standing on a ledge below the railing moving his gun arm up and down John's body as he shot him. Lyle hesitated, then jumped down and got back in his vehicle, which was parked on the lawn about 5 or 6 feet from the patio, and drove off.
John was pronounced dead at the scene. He had been shot five times. Lyle testified that when he was thrown off the porch he was "so angry he couldn't see straight." He was still angry when he returned to the home and wanted to talk to his brother about what happened. He drove up onto the grass so he could call John out to the vehicle without the wife being involved. He said he started shooting after he saw his brother jump up and put his hand in his pocket, which led Lyle to believe he had a gun. He admitted, however, that he had not shot in self-defense.
Lyle testified to his close relationship with John. He told how John, 15 years younger, had lived in Lyle's home as an adolescent for about 5 years before moving south to live with his mother. During that time, Lyle provided John with room and board and everything he needed at his own expense. When John returned to Omaha, Lyle gave him a car and later a motorcycle. This time, both John and their mother lived with Lyle for about 3 years. The wife testified that the brothers had a normal, brotherly relationship and that nothing like the fight at the nursing home had ever happened before. She said that to the best of her knowledge, Lyle had never threatened John in the past.
They first talked about the mother's house and what they should do with it. John proposed that Lyle take it; however, Lyle was not interested and suggested that the family sell the house and pay off it's liens with the proceeds. John's wife disagreed and accused Lyle of not doing anything for his mother. Lyle then contended that John and his wife had moved all of his things out of the mother's house and locked the garage without telling him.
As the discussion turned to Lyle's possessions in the garage, he called John's wife a "bitch." John stood up and told Lyle that he couldn't call his wife those names, but Lyle again repeated the derogatory name. The wife testified that a fight then broke out, but she did not see who threw the first punch. A nurse's aide first heard the men arguing loudly and then heard a loud thud. When he looked out a resident's window, he saw the brother's fighting and John straddling Lyle on the ground. When the aide ran out onto the patio to break up the fight, John's wife told them it was over. According to her, the initial fighting was "a lot of wrestling around and pushing and shoving kind of thing, and it didn't last very long at all."
The brothers were getting up when Lyle threw a punch hitting John in the jaw. John reacted by pushing Lyle over a concrete railing onto the grass, approximately 4 feet below. Lyle asserts that John struck him first, hitting him in the jaw, and that John continued to hit Lyle when he fell on the ground after the first blow. Lyle claims not to have landed any blows on John.
Lyle lay on the grass for about 10 to 12 seconds, then got up and headed toward his car, followed by his grandsons. The aide noticed Lyle's glasses on the table and took them over to him. When he gave Lyle the glasses, Lyle appeared angry and told the aide that he was coming back.
After Lyle left the home, he drove his grandsons to a convenience store and without ever getting out of his car, returned to the home about 20 minutes later. The aide testified that his work was interrupted again when he heard people yelling, "He's coming back. He's driving up the grass." John's wife said she saw Lyle drive at a high rate of speed and proceed to drive across the lawn to the front porch.
Lyle retrieved a gun which he kept under the front passenger seat of the vehicle and began running toward the porch yelling, "Here, you mother fucker," and immediately started firing. In the meantime, the aide had come running. When he heard the shots, he stopped at the main entrance. John's wife headed toward the main entrance when the shooting began to tell the aide that Lyle had a gun and to call the police. She heard some initial shots, saw Lyle standing on a ledge below the railing moving his gun arm up and down John's body as he shot him. Lyle hesitated, then jumped down and got back in his vehicle, which was parked on the lawn about 5 or 6 feet from the patio, and drove off.
John was pronounced dead at the scene. He had been shot five times. Lyle testified that when he was thrown off the porch he was "so angry he couldn't see straight." He was still angry when he returned to the home and wanted to talk to his brother about what happened. He drove up onto the grass so he could call John out to the vehicle without the wife being involved. He said he started shooting after he saw his brother jump up and put his hand in his pocket, which led Lyle to believe he had a gun. He admitted, however, that he had not shot in self-defense.
Lyle testified to his close relationship with John. He told how John, 15 years younger, had lived in Lyle's home as an adolescent for about 5 years before moving south to live with his mother. During that time, Lyle provided John with room and board and everything he needed at his own expense. When John returned to Omaha, Lyle gave him a car and later a motorcycle. This time, both John and their mother lived with Lyle for about 3 years. The wife testified that the brothers had a normal, brotherly relationship and that nothing like the fight at the nursing home had ever happened before. She said that to the best of her knowledge, Lyle had never threatened John in the past.
Source: FindLaw