RICHARD ALLEN WELCH IS PERSON OF INTEREST IN LYON SISTERS WHEATON PLAZA ABDUCTION CASE

Richard Allen Welch

Montgomery County Police continue to move closer to a possible closure of the devastating 1975 disappearance of Sheila and Katherine Lyon, naming Richard Allen Welch as a second "person of interest" in the cold case. Welch, 69, is the uncle of the man police have made the focus of their recent investigation, Lloyd Lee Welch. Lloyd Welch was believed to have been at Wheaton Plaza the day the 10 and 12-year-old sisters disappeared, and is currently in prison in Delaware.

The younger Welch, 57, was a carnival worker, and denies any involvement in the Lyon sisters' disappearance. Richard Welch is described by police as a security guard who worked near Wheaton Plaza. His current residence is given as Hyattsville.

A major recent development in the investigation has led detectives to the area of Bedford County, Virginia, where the Welch family owned land in the 1970s.

Police are asking anyone who has any information to offer regarding Richard Allen Welch's alleged involvement in the girls' disappearance to contact them immediately.

Photo via Bedford County, VA Sheriff's office