THE mom of a murder victim has broken her silence and said "she wants justice" for her teenage son after he was shot dead along with a 14-year-old girl.
Devin Clark, 18, and Lyric Woods, 14, were found dead with gunshot wounds along a North Carolina hiking trail over the weekend, and police have pinpointed an unnamed 17-year-old as the suspect.
Police say the case will remain sealed for now leaving a motive for the murders unknown.
Devin's mom's Shant'ae Concepcion said in a video on social media that she just wants justice for her son and Lyric.
"He must've been real angry and had a lot of anger in him," Concepcion said about the 17-year-old suspect. "I pray for his family at this time because it's a lot for them too."
She said in the video she wasn't told who the suspect is but she wants to know who he is and why this happened.
CRIME STORIES
That process could prove to be a slow, arduous one that's bogged down in technical legal requirements after a 2019 state law required extra steps to charge 16- and 17-year-old suspects as an adult.
That's why the Orange County Sheriff's Office filed a "juvenile petition" for two counts of first-degree murder with the Department of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.
The U.S. Sun requested a copy of the petition but was told by the sheriff's office that those documents "are confidential and not available for release".
Devin's mom said in the video that she hired a lawyer to help her through the process.
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She posted a collage of photos with Devin and said, "MY BABY IS TRULY MISS N LOVE & I GOING TO CONTINUE TO FIGHT FOR HIM. LOVE YOU Devin Clark DEVIN"DEUCE 2x" CLARK #4."
The #4 is a reference to his football jersey number. One of his friends and quarterback of his team tweeted a heartfelt tribute.
"Rest in peace to my brother Devin Clark. This doesn’t even feel real, It feels like I was just throwing you the rock yesterday. I’ll wear that #4 proud for you bro. We’re getting a ring for you Dev."
SHERIFF'S STATEMENT
Orange County Sheriff Charles Blackwood said in a statement on Tuesday: “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.
"We will now work with local, state, and federal authorities to apprehend and present the suspect to the court system.”
Because of the sensitive nature of the case and the ongoing investigation, police can't release any other information.
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Anyone with information is asked to call Investigator Keith Goodwin at (919) 245-2918.
Meanwhile GoFundMe pages have been set up to help Devin and Lyric's families with funeral expenses.
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