Warrant Lays Out Possible Problems in Slain Mom's Marriage

RALEIGH, N.C. — A slain Wake County mother found dead in her home late last year was upset over a trip her husband had taken to California, according to a search warrant made public Monday.

Authorities seized seven computer disks from the couple's home, including one labeled "California Vacation 2006," according to the warrant. Two of the disks were blank, and the rest contained photographs. Investigators did not say who is in those photographs or what their relevance is to the case.

A witness, who was only identified in the affidavit attached to the warrant as "Witness A" told investigators that Michelle Young, 29, was "very, very pissed off" about the trip, which Jason Young took sometime in 2006.

Sources close to the case say that Jason Young took that trip with family members that did not include his wife or daughter.

Michelle Young, who was five months pregnant, was found beaten to death on Nov. 3 with her 2-year-old daughter, unharmed, by her side. An autopsy report showed she died of blunt force trauma to the head and that she had been strangled.

Another person -- identified as "Witness B" -- told investigators about the California trip, although the detective did not specify those details in the affidavit. The witness said Michelle Young was also "stressing about money and things Jason would go out and do."

The warrant goes on to say there is some "importance of the events around (the) October-November 2003 time frame when the couple got married," but would not say whether it is significant to the case.

Records indicate the couple married on Oct. 10, 2003. Their daughter, Cassidy, was born March 29, 2004.

Jason Young, authorities have said, was out of town on a business trip when his wife's body was found, but he has been a focus of the investigation and has been uncooperative, according to earlier court documents.

Authorities, however, have not named him or anyone else a suspect in the case.

Earlier warrants state that Jason Young was having a relationship with one of his wife's sorority sisters, who lives in Florida, for at least three months prior to Michelle Young's death. None of the court documents say whether Michelle Young was aware of that relationship.