Deputies Examining Husband's Laptop in Young Murder Probe

Raleigh, N.C. — Wake County sheriff’s deputies are scouring a laptop computer seized from the car of Jason Young, husband of a Wake County mother killed last month, WRAL learned Saturday.

A search warrant asking permission to examine the computer indicates they are looking for financial records, correspondence with insurance companies and other evidence that might help them find the person who beat the pregnant mother to death in her home.

Michelle Young, 29, was found dead in the couple’s home on Nov. 3. A preliminary autopsy report indicated that she died from blunt force trauma.

In describing what deputies sought with the warrant, Investigator B.T. David said it was a Dell Latitude laptop and "evidence that may aid in the identification of a possible suspect and the motivation for this homicide to include: digital evidence, diskettes, CD ROM, material relating to data used to commit the above offense, 'cookie' data files, Internet browser logs ... financial records, e-mails, instant messages" and several other kinds of computer files.

Deputies had seized the computer from Jason Young's Ford Explorer when he returned to Raleigh after his wife's body was discovered. This warrant is for the data on the machine's hard drive.

Earlier in the investigation, deputies seized two computer hard drives from the house and a cell phone from Jason Young’s car.

Jason Young talked with investigators the day his wife's body was found and later gave fingerprints under a court order, but Investigators have not named him as a suspect.

Wake County Sheriff Donnie Harrison has said that Young has refused to speak with investigators.

"Attempts have been made to have Jason Young assist in this investigation. He has refused to cooperate with the Wake County Sheriff's Office," David's warrant says.

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it took a corrupt DA to get attention on a national scale before everyone starts to stand up for the rights we've had all along. thanks nifong, for waking up the sheep.

jackleg
December 25, 2006 8:13 p.m.

According to WRAL reporters (and other media), Mr. Young is already nearly presumed guilty (true, no one has come out and SAID it yet...). Why would media hawk the police department for the big 'fingerprints taken' story when this is just normal procedure??? It would be nice to get a full story, when appropriate, rather than media biased stories, when the media thinks they have the 'exclusive' before any other gets it? Why not go for the news when the alleged murderer is arrested instead of speculating for a jury prior to selection? Is it any wonder why true justice cannot always be handed down with so many doubts aired on TV? Freedom of speech is quite different nowadays... the context is often filled with artificial/ imitation flavoring. Nope, I don't blame him for not 'cooperating' with officials... or the media!

IHave1-2
December 25, 2006 1:20 p.m.

I do not blame him one bit. Any volunteered information will be used as they like. He should know he is thier main suspect and being quiet is smart. He may have done it, most murders like this are committed by the hubby, maybe he didn't, either way, after Nifong, I have changed my thoughts on cooperating with the police.

pnicholson5
December 24, 2006 8:41 p.m.

Yes, I believe Mr. Nifong has indeed set a new standard for co-operating with law enforcement officials in this area. Mr. Young, is just following his attorney's advice. Why should he subject himself to interrogation and then be perhaps facing unwarranted prosecution by someone like Nifong who was a "I'll say what you want to hear" media magnet during the primary and then became a media recluse when the true facts emerged. I don't know a thing about Mr. Young...might of done it...might not. But, it is disappointing that WRAL would 'headline' what is standard operating procedure in a case like this. Are they "scouring" the laptop computer, WRAL? Sometimes, you're as bad as WTVD.

rtpinnc
December 24, 2006 12:07 a.m.

If we learned anything from Nifong, it's that we have to support our rights, and that includes "innocent until proven quilty." Even if he did it, he deserves that right, as do ALL citizens of the U.S. The liberal media will hang him out to dry if he talks, but I will agree that people will tend to look at him negatively (including the investigators) if he doesn't.