17-year-old charged with killing of two North Carolina high school students

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Louise Thomas

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A 17-year-old has been charged with the killing of two North Carolina high school students who were found shot to death on a rural trail by four-wheeler riders.

The bodies of Lyric Woods, 14, and Devin Clark, 18, were discovered on Sunday in western Orange County with gunshot wounds after they had been reported missing by their families.

The suspect, who was not yet in custody as of Tuesday afternoon and who has not been named, is the subject of a juvenile petition for two counts of first-degree murder, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.

Woods was reported missing by her stepfather on Saturday morning after her family found her bed empty at their home in Efland. Her family contacted law enforcement immediately when they found the back door of the property was unlocked.

Clark, a star football player at Eastern Alamance High School, was reported missing by his family on Sunday after his family had not seen him since Friday night.

“Through the hard work of my investigators, along with the assistance of personnel from many other law enforcement agencies, we have identified a suspect in this case,” Sheriff Charles Blackwood said.

“We will now work with local, state, and federal authorities to apprehend and present the suspect to the court system.”

“I want to thank the families of Devin Clark and Lyric Woods for trusting us and the investigative process during this excruciatingly painful time. I hope the apprehension of this subject will bring them some comfort as they mourn their loved ones.”

In North Carolina 16- and 17-year-old juveniles charged with first-degree murder are not automatically charged as adults. But if there is probable cause or an indictment, then a district court can hand the case to the state’s superior court.

Investigators are still waiting for official confirmation of their identities and cause of death from the State Medical Examiner’s Office.

“Although we do not have that confirmation yet, in the absence of any other missing persons matching the descriptions of the individuals located, the tragic but logical conclusion is increasingly clear,” the sheriff added.