Tooth Reportedly Found at Young Crime Scene

RALEIGH, N.C. — Family members of a young Wake County mother found dead in her home found what they thought to be her tooth after crime scene investigators completed their work.

The City County Bureau of Investigation confirmed the discovery Thursday, but said the tooth would not have helped solved who killed Michelle Young.

A preliminary autopsy found that Young, 29, had died from blunt-force trauma. Her sister found her dead on Nov. 3 when she went to Young's home.

"We feel like we did a very thorough job," said CCBI Director Sam Pennica. "This particular item was very small, and not knowing where it was found, I can only assume that it was a location (that) would have been hidden."

Pennica added that the tooth has nothing to do with the case and would not have led to the identity of the perpetrator who killed Young.

"It's an item that had we recovered it, had we seen it, we would have sent it with the body, and it would have been buried," Pennica said.

Investigators spent about 13 days at the home, located in the Enchanted Oaks subdivision south of Raleigh, before releasing the scene to family. Young's sister-in-law apparently found the tooth near the bed while cleaning up in the bedroom.

The discovery has led Young's family members to question the completeness of the investigation, sources close to the case said.

Young's husband, Jason Young, has not commented about the case, and family members there refused to comment when WRAL went to his sister's home in Aberdeen on Thursday.

Wake County Sheriff Donnie Harrison said Thursday that he has complete confidence in the CCBI's work on the case.

Meanwhile, investigators briefed the Wake County District Attorney's Office on the case Thursday.

Authorities still have not named any suspects in the case, but Harrison said earlier this week that investigators are making strong progress and have been working every day on the case.

Detectives, he said, have conducted more than 100 interviews and have followed up on at least 65 leads in the case. They have also traveled across North Carolina and to three other states as part of their investigation.

Fingerprint samples have also been taken from numerous people who knew Michelle Young, including Jason Young and other members of the Young family. Crime lab experts are still analyzing the evidence.