Memorial for teens killed in Orange County is vandalized. Sheriff offers cash reward.
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The deaths of Lyric Woods & Devin Clark
On Sept. 18, 2022, two missing teens were found dead with gunshot wounds in Orange County near Efland. Here is ongoing coverage from The News & Observer of the investigation, its aftermath and trial.
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Just two days before the anniversary of two Orange County teens’ violent deaths, someone vandalized a memorial honoring Devin Clark and Lyric Woods.
“Sadly, one or more persons did not treat the site with the respect it deserves,” Orange County Sheriff Charles Blackwood said in a statement.
On Sept. 17, 2022, Woods, 14, and Clark, 18, were found shot to death in a rural area off of Buckhorn Road in Orange County.
Just after their bodies were found, Woods’ grandfather, Stan Dean, constructed a red metal cross wrapped in Christmas lights marking the spot where their bodies were found.
“I put the cross here with the lights on it,” Dean told The News & Observer at the time, his voice cracking. “Because she was afraid of the dark.”
Since then, the memorial has grown and now includes images of Clark and Woods along with a mailbox for “Letters to Heaven” where visitors can leave messages for the teens.
The Sheriff’s Office is now offering a $3,500 cash reward for information that leads to the arrest and prosecution of the vandals.
Anyone with information about is asked to call Investigator Keith Goodwin. His number is (919) 245-2918.
The suspect in the killings, Issiah Ross, eluded authorities for more than two weeks before he was captured in Delaware on Oct. 5. He was charged with two counts of first-degree murder.
Ross, now 18, is currently in custody at the Orange County Jail.
This story was originally published September 16, 2023 at 10:22 AM.
