A suspect is officially in custody for the deaths of North Carolina teens Lyric Woods and Devin Clark.
Woods, 14, and Clark, 18,were found shot to deathalong a hiking trail in Orange County, according to a statement from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. Shortly after, officials said theyidentified a 17-year-old suspect, but had not arrested them yet. The suspect’s name was not released as they are a minor.
On Wednesday, the OCSO announced that “authorities detained a juvenilein connection” with the deaths of Woods and Clark.
In a statement, Sheriff Charles Blackwood said, “We hope this apprehension provides some relief to the families and friends of Devin and Lyric, who have experienced an excruciating loss. Obviously, the capture of the suspect does not restore their loved one to them. The grieving process is a long one, and we hope the community will continue to support them in their pain.”
North Carolina law prohibits anyone from sharing any details about the case — including the detainee’s name, where he was arrested, nor which officer took him into custody — as long as it’s under the Juvenile Court’s jurisdiction.
Added Blackwood: “We understand our community is hungry for information to help process this tragedy; however, the laws regarding juvenile confidentiality are ironclad. We have no ability to set them aside, even given the heightened interest in this case.”
Joe Concepcion Jr., Clark’s uncle, opened up toRolling Stoneabout the frustration and uneasiness his family felt after authorities initially sharednews of the 17-year-old suspect, but did not identify them or provide any further details.
Lyric Woods, Devin Clark.Orange County Sheriff’s Office; Facebook
“We can’t find his phone, we don’t know where his backpack is,” Concepcion said of his nephew. “We don’t know nothing. We didn’t even have an open funeral. They had to put the pieces together.”
Mallory Thornton, whose daughter was friends with Woods, added that the victims' friends were afraid to go to school with an unknown suspect at large.
“These children are literally fighting over this case,” she said. “[Blackwood should] come out and look these children in the face and say, ‘Hey, I understand what you’re saying, but I’m not at liberty to say certain things about the case, I just want to reassure you that you’re safe.’ "
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“Family members reported Lyric missing Saturday afternoon to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office,” a statement from the OCSO said at the time. “Devin Clark’s family contacted the Mebane Police Department on Sunday with concerns about his whereabouts.”
Lyric was a ninth grader at Cedar Ridge High School in Hillsborough, and Devin was a senior at Eastern Alamance High School in Mebane.
The teens were described as acquaintances.
source: people.com
