The deaths of teenagers Lyric Woods and Devin Clark in northern Orange County last month shocked the community. Many people are still waiting for answers and details to emerge – with that information expected to be shared shortly, according to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.
Prosecutors confirmed on Wednesday that they will seek to move the murder case of a charged juvenile suspect to Orange County Superior Court, effectively allowing information on the suspect to become public. The Orange County Sheriff’s Office said on September 20 that it was seeking to arrest a 17-year-old in connection to the case, successfully doing so on October 5. North Carolina laws state 16- and 17-year-olds cannot be sentenced as adults for most crimes. Murder charges, however, are severe enough to where a suspect’s case can be referred from juvenile court to superior court.
Orange County Assistant District Attorney Jeff Nieman told Chapelboro on Wednesday that is what the local office will seek to do.
“This case is still under the jurisdiction currently of juvenile court currently, so we are very limited in terms of the amount of information we’re allowed to release to the public,” he said. “However, understanding that the public has a desire and a right to know about a case with this amount of public interest, we wanted to announce our intention to transfer this case to adult superior court.”
Nieman, who is the district attorney elect for 2023, said based upon the procedures necessary to transfers, there will be 15 calendar days until the case is able to formally be moved — meaning it will be complete around November 3. There is also an appeal process for the defendant, which could extend how long prosecutors and investigators must keep information private.
The transfer of juvenile cases to adult court has existed for a while, but Nieman says far fewer cases reached that threshold since North Carolina previously charged 16- and 17-year-olds as adults for all crimes. He said both he and the district attorney’s office support the legislation that changed the law.
“Fortunately,” said Nieman, “serious violent crime, including murders, is a very small percentage of the cases we handle. I have decided that this particular case is one more appropriately prosecuted in adult court despite the fact I support the Raise the Age legislation because we handle everything down to Class 3 misdemeanors.
“For the vast majority of criminal offenses committed by people 17 and younger,” he continued, “I do think it’s appropriate for those cases to be prosecuted in juvenile court. But some cases are exceptional.”
Woods and Clark were separately announced as missing the weekend of September 17. Woods, an Efland resident, was last seen at home Friday night by her family and reported missing Saturday afternoon. Clark, who lived in Alamance County, was later said to be missing by family members on social media. The Orange County Sheriff’s Office later responded to a discovery of two bodies on a power line easement off Buckhorn Road Sunday afternoon. Investigators later said there was enough evidence to identify the pair as Woods and Clark, and said it appears they suffered gunshot wounds.
Lyric Woods, 14. (Photo via the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.)
Devin Clark, 18. (Photo via the National Gun Violence Memorial.)
The missing persons report and subsequent discovery of the bodies led to an outpouring of concern, grief and frustration on social media from many Orange County community members. Nieman said while there are clear restrictions on what can be shared right now, those following the case should know the district attorney’s office is treating it as a priority.
“Just because we are not able to disseminate very much information on this and currently the proceedings are all closed, that doesn’t mean things aren’t happening,” he said. “I just want to give my assurance that, despite the fact that information is limited, we’re moving with pace [in] moving this case forward.”
The superior court judges for District 15-B in Orange County are Alison Grine and Allen Baddour.
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