NC teen was shot 7 times before she was left in a field in Orange County, autopsy shows
An investigative report released Friday showed that a 14-year-old girl was shot seven times before being left in an Orange County field in September 2022.
An autopsy for Lyric Woods released Friday indicates a weapon fired at close range caused some of the wounds. The teen also had several bruises to her right ankle, leg and knee, the autopsy said.
On Sept. 17, 2022, Woods was found with 18-year-old Devin Clark lying in the grass just off a powerline easement on Buckhorn Road near Efland.
Clark, who was from Alamance County, was shot three times, prosecutors have said.
Issiah Ross, 18, is charged with their murders and is awaiting trial in the Orange County jail. He is scheduled to appear in court again Dec. 12.
Orange County Assistant District Attorney Anna Orr has said in court that Ross picked up Clark on the morning of Sept. 17 and took him to pick up Woods near her home, a short drive from where the teenagers were found. They were shot while running for their lives, Orr has said.
Investigators found 13 9mm shell casings at the scene, Orr said. Nearby residents reported hearing multiple gunshots between 2:10 a.m. and 2:20 a.m., she said.
Cell phone data and video footage from a gas station placed Ross near the scene between 1:45 a.m. and 3 a.m. Woods’ family, who last saw her at home around 11 p.m. Sept. 16, reported her missing later the next day. Clark’s family reported him missing the following morning, a few hours before two men found the bodies.
Ross’ attorney, Jonathan Trapp, acknowledged the plan to pick up the two teens during the January court hearing, but said the evidence does not support charging Ross with murder.
A witness told law enforcement that the teens were shot after Ross struggled with Clark over a gun that Clark had with him that night. The gun belonged to Clark’s father, attorneys said in court.
Ross could face life in prison if convicted. Suspects under 18 cannot get the death penalty in North Carolina, and Orange-Chatham District Attorney Jeff Nieman has said he will not seek the death penalty in any cases.
Memorial vandalized
A memorial set up at the site to honor the teens was vandalized in September, just two days before the anniversary of their deaths.
Woods’s grandfather erected the red metal cross wrapped in Christmas lights shortly after their bodies were found last year. Others left photos, and a mailbox was installed for “Letters to Heaven” so visitors could leave messages, The News & Observer has reported.
The person or people responsible for vandalizing the site have not been arrested. The Sheriff’s Office is offering a $3,500 cash reward for information that leads to their arrest and prosecution.
Anyone with information can call Investigator Keith Goodwin at 919-245-2918.
Staff writer Colleen Hammond contributed to this report.
