The body of 9-year-old Mya was found one year ago.
"Now that the numbness is wearing off, all kind of different emotions and feelings are coming. The anger, the hatred," said Richard Lyons, Mya's father. "And I still have love because I know my baby is safe. I want the person responsible for this to be caught and brought to justice. The hunt is not over."
Mya was stabbed to death in an alley near her father's home on the South Side. No arrests have been made in the case; police say it is still a criminal ongoing investigation.
"It has taken its toll on my family," said Lyons. "It is a very difficult day so many people have shown their love and support."
Lyons is suing Metra claiming the commuter failed to properly maintain the weeds at the property where Mya's body was found. He feels the area was ripe for criminal behavior.
"The lot where this happened had weeds eight to 10 feet high. Had the property been in compliance and had they seen a child in that alley with an adult, they would have intervened and she would be alive today," said Gilbert Ross, Lyons' attorney.
"The police ain't doing they job. They ain't found the killer yet," said Daryl Akins, neighbor.
"I just hope they find the person that did that to her," said Cassandra Morgan, neighbor.
Mya Lyons is buried at Burr Oak Cemetery, where hundreds of bodies may have been moved in a scheme to resell plots.
"We have some concern about her being out there in a fresh plot or placed in someone else's plot. Is she resting peacefully and that bothers us, makes you loose sleep and brings back more pain on top of the pain that is already there," said Lyons.
Ross said Richard Lyons was once considered a person of interest in the case, but at all times he has provided 100 percent cooperation with the authorities.
Metra did not respond to ABC7's requests for a comment on the lawsuit.
