Woods, 14, and Clark, 18, were found dead on an Orange County trail over the weekend. “Through the hard work of my investigators, along with the assistance of personnel from several other law enforcement agencies, we have located a suspect in this case,” said Sheriff Charles Blackwood. “We will now work with local, state and federal authorities to apprehend and bring the suspect to justice.” A juvenile plea to two counts of first-degree murder was filed Tuesday afternoon with the Department of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention The suspect’s name has not been released because he is a juvenile. As of December 2019, 16- and 17-year-olds who commit crimes in North Carolina are not automatically charged as adults. However, with probable cause, a judge has the ability to transfer the case to the adult justice system. “I want to thank the families of Devin Clark and Lyric Woods for trusting us and the investigative process during this extremely painful time,” Blackwood said. “I hope the arrest of this matter will bring them some comfort as they mourn their loved ones.” The Orange County Sheriff’s Office said men riding ATVs on Sunday found the two bodies around 3 p.m. near a power line in the western part of the county. Investigators said both victims appeared to have been shot. Family members confirmed Monday that the bodies were Lyric Woods, 14, and Devin Clark, 18. Both had been reported missing over the weekend. The specific causes of their deaths have not yet been determined. Investigators expect to receive this information from the medical examiner’s report in the near future. According to the sheriff’s office, family members reported Woods missing Saturday afternoon and a deputy entered the information into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) around 3:44 p.m. The family said they went to bed Friday night with the back door of the house locked. when they woke up Saturday the back door was unlocked with no evidence of forced entry. Clark’s family contacted the Mebane Police Department on Sunday with concerns about his whereabouts. An officer took him into NCIC at about 1:42 p.m. Woods’ grandfather took to social media to offer a $10,000 reward for the case. Investigators described Woods and Clark as acquaintances. The couple were high school students. Woods attended Cedar Ridge High School and Clark attended Eastern Alamance High School. The lives of Woods and Clark were remembered Monday night with a moment of silence at a football game between their two high schools. “Last weekend, Devin Clark, a student at Eastern Alamance, and Lyric Woods, a student at Cedar Ridge, tragically lost their lives,” the public announcer said shortly before the game. “Please keep their families in your thoughts and prayers.” The investigation remains active. Anyone with additional information is asked to call Investigator Keith Goodwin at (919) 245-2918. Copyright © 2022 WTVD-TV. All rights reserved.
