Man sentenced in slaying of woman at Michigan motel

TRAVERSE CITY (AP) - A northern Michigan man was sentenced in the slaying of a woman whose body was found in a wooded area.

A judge in Traverse City last Thursday handed down a sentence of 30 to 50 years in prison to Frank Supal, according to WPBN-TV.

Supal, 50, pleaded guilty in February to second-degree murder. Supal has said that he and Wanda Lyons had been drinking Dec. 10 when she was killed at a Traverse City motel.

Someone following drag marks on the ground found Lyons' body the next day in a ravine near Maple City in Leelanau County, northwest of Traverse City. An autopsy revealed she was beaten, stabbed, strangled and had neck fractures.

Police have said Supal had been living off and on at the motel. Lyons and her husband had settled in Traverse City after living in the Chicago area. They also had a room at the motel.

Lyons' husband told police that he left their room after the couple had a disagreement. He reported her missing the next day - several hours after her body was found.

Published: Thu, Mar 19, 2020