3 men indicted for attempted murder, assault

PALMER -- Two Wasilla men and one Anchorage man were indicted Thursday on attempted murder and five other counts connected with the beating of Jeffery Byers June 2, after allegedly entering his home.

In addition to attempted murder, William P. Clary, 31, Brian D. Lizer, 26, and Travis D. Lizer, 23, were indicted on second-degree assault, first-degree burglary, third-degree assault, second-degree criminal mischief and attempted kidnapping.

The Lizers also were indicted separately Thursday on two counts of fourth-degree misconduct involving a controlled substance stemming from a May 7 incident when police went to their home after it was burglarized and found marijuana there.

The three men allegedly entered Byers' home and choked and beat him, reportedly looking for a man who had made an earlier burglary attempt on them May 7.

Alaska State Troopers were called shortly before 1 a.m. June 2 by a woman reporting that her boyfriend's home sounded like it was being invaded. Elizabeth Bouslaugh told dispatchers she was speaking with Byers on the phone and heard the noise of him being assaulted before the phone was disconnected.

Troopers reported they found Byers walking on the street outside his residence, bleeding from head wounds. Byers suffered bruises and swelling across his body, and two head lacerations. They took him inside his home and called an ambulance. He reportedly lost consciousness as he was taken away to Valley Hospital where he received about 40 stitches.

Byers was able to tell troopers that three white men broke into his residence and assaulted him. The men demanded to know where another man was "hiding," he said.

The men hit him with a baseball bat, choked him with a wire and threatened him with a small handgun, according to the police report. Byers told troopers he was scared to death they were going to kill him.

They tried to force Byers from his residence, he said, to make him help find the person they were trying to locate.

Troopers arrested two of the men two hours later at a bonfire party near the Little Susitna River Bridge. They were standing near a truck and drinking beer.

Trooper Lt. Rick Roberts said in the felony complaint that troopers had been notified May 7 of a home invasion where Travis and Brian Lizer were the victims. Someone had burglarized their home, and they told troopers investigating that case that they believed it was the man they went looking for when they allegedly battered Byers.

At the Little Susitna River Bridge, Clary was initially arrested on an outstanding warrant for contempt of court on an original DWI charge. Brian Lizer was arrested on a misconduct involving weapons charge. Travis Lizer was arrested later at his home.

All three were arraigned Thursday in Palmer Superior Court.