Suspect, 17, Charged Over The Murder Of Two Teens Found Shot Dead On Hiking Trail
A 17-year-old has been arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree murder over the killings of two teenagers on a hiking trail in North Carolina.
A 17-year-old has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder over the deaths of Devin Clark, 18, and Lyric Woods, 14, Orange County Sheriff Charles Blackwood said in a statement on Tuesday.
In the statement, he said: "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 the case. "We will now work with local, state, and federal authorities to apprehend and present the suspect to the court system."
The suspect, who has not yet been named, will not be charged as an adult due to the state law that came into effect on December 1, 2019, that says "16 and 17-year-old individuals who commit crimes in North Carolina are no longer charged automatically in the adult criminal justice system."
The case will now be transferred from a district court to a superior court. Sheriff Blackwood thanked the families of the victims "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."
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