
Philadelphia Man Found Guilty in Cold Case Murder of Bristol Township Father
by Dan Doyle | July 18, 2025
BRISTOL TOWNSHIP, PA — Nearly nine years after the fatal shooting of Herbert Lyals on his 38th birthday, a Philadelphia man has been convicted of third-degree murder in connection with the deadly robbery that ended Lyals’ life.
Following a weeklong trial, 34-year-old George Javon Clark was found guilty Friday by a Bucks County jury for his role in the July 27, 2016, killing. Prosecutors say Clark, who once lived in the nearby Bloomsdale neighborhood, targeted Lyals after hearing he had money, and along with an accomplice, went to Truman Street in the early morning hours to rob him.
During closing arguments, Chief Deputy District Attorney Thomas C. Gannon told jurors that Clark shot Lyals in the face and chest just moments after the victim stepped outside his cousin’s home in the Terrace neighborhood, where he had been celebrating with family and friends. The fatal shooting occurred at approximately 12:45 a.m.

“He was a velvet teddy bear,” Gannon said of Lyals, who was described as a loving and peaceful father of three. “A caring man whose life was violently stolen.”
Clark was convicted of multiple charges, including third-degree murder, robbery, conspiracy, criminal use of a communication facility, and attempted theft. Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date following a pre-sentence investigation ordered by Senior Judge Thomas C. Branca.
Clark’s co-defendant, 45-year-old John Marquis Wilson of Philadelphia, is awaiting trial on charges including third-degree murder, conspiracy to commit homicide, and robbery.
The two were charged in April 2024, following a renewed investigation led by detectives from the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office and Bristol Township Police, with guidance from the Bucks County Investigating Grand Jury.
Authorities revealed that Lyals received a phone call just before 1 a.m. on the night of the murder. He told someone he’d be right back and stepped outside. Moments later, two gunshots rang out. Witnesses ran outside to find Lyals lying fatally wounded, with his cellphone nearby. Two 9mm shell casings were recovered at the scene.
The investigation utilized surveillance footage, cellphone tower data, and witness interviews to reconstruct the events. Detectives tracked 15 phone calls and two texts exchanged between Clark and Wilson the night of the killing, and six calls between Lyals and Wilson in the 45 minutes leading up to his death.
“The diligence of our investigators and prosecutors has ensured that justice has been served for Herbert Lyals and his family,” said Bucks County District Attorney Jennifer Schorn. “We are grateful for the hard work of Detectives Eric Landamia and Alex Asmann, the Investigating Grand Jury, and the entire prosecution team.”
Clark remains in custody as he awaits sentencing. Wilson’s trial date has not yet been announced.