Family, friends remember slain Wake County mother

Garner, N.C. — Family and friends gathered Saturday on the shores of Lake Benson to honor the memory of a murdered Wake County mother.

Michelle Young, 29, was found beaten to death in her home on Nov. 3, 2006. At the time, she was pregnant. Daughter Cassidy, then 2, was by her side, unharmed.

Young's family said they wanted to have the memorial on the day before Mother's Day, because being a mom was such a huge part of her life.

“She was always so smooth and caring and I never heard her raise her voice. She never raised her voice,” mother Linda Fisher said.

Fisher lives in New York but is visiting North Carolina to honor her daughter's memory this weekend.

“I just seriously feel Michelle here today. You know, she's with me a lot. But today, she's everywhere,” Fisher said.

Family and friends said they want to keep Young's memory, death and the fact there has been no arrest in the public eye.

“They want the resolution, maybe not as strongly as we do, but they want it too. It's an injustice and she deserves justice,” sister Meredith Fisher said.

An autopsy revealed Young died of blunt-force trauma to the head after being hit at least 10 times. Several of her teeth were knocked out, her jaw was broken; she had bruises on both hands and injuries to her neck that showed her killer also tried to strangle her.

Wake County sheriff's investigators have made no arrests and have named no suspects, but they continue to say they are making progress in the case.

Investigators do not think the crime was random. Young was last seen alive at 10:30 p.m. on Nov. 2. Her husband was out of town on business when his wife's body was found.

In search warrants related to the case, her husband has appeared to be a focus of the investigation. In part, the documents said he had been having a relationship with a Florida woman and that he had refused to talk with investigators. Authorities, however, have not named him as a suspect.

Progress Energy, Young's employer, is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to a conviction in the case.

Anyone with information about Young's death should contact the Wake County Sheriff's Office at 919-856-6800.

A memorial fund has also been set up for Cassidy. Contributions can be made at any Bank of America or sent to The Michelle Young Memorial Fund, Bank of America, 1335 E. Broad St., Fuquay-Varina, N.C. 27526.

Cassidy is staying with her father, Jason Young, and his family in western North Carolina.