Summer’s father could blame wife

The father charged with the abuse death of 4-year-old Summer Phelps has told prosecutors that he wants to testify against his wife, who is the dead girl’s stepmother.

Superior Court Judge Michael Price on Thursday postponed the trial date of 28-year-old Jonathan Lytle and 32-year-old Adriana Lytle until Jan. 28. Both face homicide by abuse charges in connection with Summer’s death on March 10.

In a search warrant filed this week, Spokane police Detective Brian Hamond indicated that Jonathan Lytle wants to testify against his wife.

“Detective Hamond has received jail request forms from Jonathan Lytle stating that Summer’s death was Adriana’s fault, and he would testify against her,” Hamond wrote.

Jonathan Lytle’s attorney, Assistant Public Defender Ed Carroll, told Judge Price that the Jan. 28 date may be changed because he intends to file a motion to sever the case so that Jonathan and Adriana Lytle are tried separately.

Homicide by abuse normally carries a maximum penalty of 26 1/2 years in prison. However, prosecutors also added three aggravating factors to the Lytles’ charges, including violating a position of trust, deliberate cruelty and a particularly vulnerable victim. If they are found guilty, a judge could sentence them to life in prison.

Chief Criminal Deputy Spokane County Prosecutor Jack Driscoll said that since a motion to sever the cases has not yet been filed it makes sense to set the trial date now and change it later. Price agreed.

The hearing Thursday followed the filing on Tuesday of a new search warrant by Hamond.

Those court records indicate that Jonathan Lytle made statements on April 16 that “caused jail officers to fear Lytle may attempt suicide.” Correction deputies then placed Lytle on suicide watch and moved him to the second floor of the Spokane County Jail.

Two days later, corrections officials found writings apparently by Lytle on his desk that pertained to Summer’s homicide and “spoke of Lytle’s involvement and Adriana’s involvement,” according to court records.

The jail official informed Hamond about the writings, but the court records do not indicate what was written.

The search warrant also gives more detailed descriptions of the condition of Summer’s body when she was brought to Deaconess Medical Center at 11 p.m. March 10.

The emergency room physicians “observed numerous large bruises all over the victim’s body and Dr. (Darrol) Hval said that in all of his years of ER work, it was the worse (sic) case of abuse he had ever seen on a child,” Hamond wrote in court records.

Summer was declared dead at 11:53 p.m.

Both Lytles were arrested and subsequently admitted to abusing Summer, Hamond wrote. “Both admitted to making Summer stand in an uncomfortable position at the bathtub while washing urine soaked items for several hours.”

The couple also admitted to using a dog-shock collar to control the girl’s screaming and crying, Hamond wrote.

Spokane County Medical Examiner Dr. Sally Aiken determined that Summer died from asphyxiation due to drowning and the manner of death was homicide, according to court records.

Investigators found a working dog-shock collar in the apartment.

“During the autopsy, burn marks on Summer’s neck matched the probes on the collar,” Hamond wrote.