'Justice will be done:' Families of Devin Clark, Lyric Woods turn out for murder suspect's court hearing
Issiah Mehki Ross, the 17-year-old charged with two counts of first-degree murder in connection with the deaths of Lyric Woods and Devin Clark, made a brief first court appearance on Tuesday.
Ross, who went to school with Clark at Eastern Alamance High School in Mebane, will be tried as an adult. He has been in custody since Oct. 5. On Tuesday, he appeared expressionless when facing the judge and wore street clothes. Many in the community were waiting for the appearance, hoping for answers surrounding the double homicide.
The bodies of Woods, 14, and Clark, 18, were found on Sept. 18 off a remote ATV path.
In court on Tuesday, Ross' attorney filed two motions for a bond hearing and return of property. Ross' next court date was scheduled for Dec. 13.
"We are very aware of the importance to both the families involved and the greater community in this case," said Orange County District Attorney-Elect Jeff Nieman.
A spokesperson from the Orange County Sheriff's Office says Ross had not been living in North Carolina for long. School records show Ross went to Eastern Alamance High School with Clark – but only for six days, at the beginning of the school year. Ross was enrolled from Aug. 29 to Sept. 3.
He was apprehended by the FBI Violent Crimes Task Force on Oct. 5 at Leander Lakes apartment in Dover, Delaware. Two women were also arrested at the apartment complex for hindering prosecution. Nakaysha Ross, from Middletown, Delaware, and McKenzie Mitchell, from Dover, were taken into custody.
Tiffany Concepcion, the mother of Devin Clark, spoke with WRAL News after the appearance. She said Clark and Ross knew each other and that in total, three lives have been lost as a result of what happened.
"I am glad that justice is happening. It is coming, and it's going to be done," said Concepcion. "I miss my son Devin all day every day, and I wish I could get him back, but I can't. But justice will be done."
"Really, we just lost three kids. Three kids have been taken."
Ross is being held without bond. Nieman said he couldn't comment on where Ross was being held and doesn't know when he'll be moved to an adult facility. He will be tried as an adult, though he's not eligible for the death penalty because he is under 18 years old.
Ross was seen handcuffed and getting into a white sedan after the appearance. From there, he was taken to an undisclosed juvenile detention facility.
Family members and friends wearing T-shirts supporting the victims were in the courtroom Tuesday but most would not speak to WRAL News. A slew of deputies accompanied Ross to court and lined the courtroom before his appearance, which lasted only two minutes.
Woods, a student at Cedar Ridge High School in Hillsborough, and Clark, a football player, were good friends, according to family members.
Jon Trapp, attorney for the suspect's family, offered no comment on Tuesday's proceedings.
The motive is still unknown
Even though Ross will be tried as an adult, anyone under 18 is not eligible to receive the death penalty. The most serious punishment option is life in prison without possibility of parole.
The search warrants for the case, which likely contain a lot of information about evidence and perhaps a motive, are sealed. For now, those answers will have to wait.
"The proper place for the evidence to come out is in court," said Nieman. "And the proper place and time for that to be evaluated is by juries and by judges. We do recognize the importance of providing information to the public, but what we don’t want to do is do anything to jeopardize the proper adjudication of this case."
