Three suspects in Apex teen's death to testify against fourth

Three suspects charged in the death of an Apex teen a year ago will take a plea deal and testify against a fourth person in the case.

Prosecutors and attorneys for Allegra Rose Dahlquist, Aadil Shahid Khan and Drew Logan Shaw indicated during a court hearing Thursday that the three would testify against Ryan Patrick Hare.

The case is expected to go to trial May 24.

All four people are charged with first-degree murder in the Nov. 30, 2008, death of Matthew Josiah Silliman, 18, a student at Apex High School. In addition to first-degree murder, Hare and Shaw were also indicted on one count of conspiracy to commit murder.

Wake County deputies found Silliman's body on Dec. 2, 2008, at an unoccupied property in New Hill owned by members of Dahlquist's family. Silliman disappeared Nov. 26 and was the subject of a Silver Alert because he suffered from depression and bi-polar disorder.

An autopsy found he had lethal amounts of prescription drugs and alcohol that had likely sedated him before he suffocated.

According to search warrants in the case, one of the accused confessed to being involved and implicated three others. Of the other three, two more confessed to their involvement.

The three who confessed implicated the fourth suspect as being directly involved in his death.

The suspects are believed to have been friends with Silliman. Dahlquist and Khan were seniors at Apex High. Shaw was a sophomore at Panther Creek High School. Hare withdrew from Panther Creek High School in February 2008.