EXCLUSIVE: Disturbing Details Emerge in the Murders of Lyric Woods and Devin Clark

ORANGE COUNTY, N.C. — The North Carolina Beat has obtained portions of investigative documents related to the murders of 14-year-old Lyric Woods and 18-year-old Devin Clark, shedding light on what deputies observed when the teens’ bodies were discovered in a wooded area near Buckhorn Road.

The documents, provided to The North Carolina Beat by a source close to the investigation, are being selectively reported to protect that source.

LYRIC WOODS REPORTED MISSING

Lyric Woods was reported missing by her family on Saturday, September 17, around noon, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. Her disappearance was entered into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) later that evening.

Before she was found, family members shared a Facebook post stating that Lyric had left home and could not be reached.

Lyric’s stepfather, Shane Cannada, reportedly told deputies he last saw her around 11:00 p.m. Friday night, September 16, when she went to take a shower. Cannada said when he went to wake her the following morning, she was gone. He believed she left through an unlocked back door.

Cannada told investigators he did not believe Lyric ran away, noting that she left all of her belongings behind except for an iPad.

Lyric’s biological father, Brady Woods, was contacted by deputies and assisted in the search.

A K-9 unit was deployed, using a pillowcase from Lyric’s bed. According to police reports, the dog tracked her scent from the home into nearby woods where four-wheelers frequently travel.

A neighbor also reported seeing Lyric riding in a vehicle around 3:00 a.m. that same morning. Deputies documented that K-9 indicators suggested Lyric may have accepted a ride from someone in a vehicle.

DEVIN CLARK REPORTED MISSING

Devin Clark, 18, was reported missing by his mother, Tiffany Concepcion, on Saturday, September 17. The Mebane Police Department entered Devin into NCIC as a missing person at 1:42 p.m. on Sunday, September 18.

According to both families, Lyric and Devin were close friends.

Bodies Discovered Near Buckhorn Road

On Sunday, September 18, around 3:00 p.m., two men riding four-wheelers discovered the bodies of Lyric Woods and Devin Clark approximately 2.5 miles from Lyric’s home, near a power-line easement off Buckhorn Road.

In a 911 call first obtained by The North Carolina Beat, the caller told the dispatcher he preferred to speak with an officer in person about what he had found. He admitted he left the scene to inform his father and ask what he should do next.

Both teens were found with gunshot wounds.

Graphic Details From Investigative Documents

According to documents exclusively reviewed by The North Carolina Beat, both Lyric Woods and Devin Clark were found lying on their backs in a brush area.

Devin Clark was wearing dark gray pants, a black hooded sweatshirt, black socks, and a white T-shirt underneath. Investigators documented that his pants were below his Reebok boxer briefs and that his abdomen appeared “exposed and swollen,” with maggots present in his mouth.

The documents did not specify the total number of gunshot wounds Devin sustained, but confirmed injuries to his head and thigh.

Lyric Woods was wearing gray sweatpants, a black T-shirt with red, white, and blue lettering, and light-blue socks. Investigators noted a light-blue Crocs shoe near her right foot and another underneath her body.

The documents state Lyric was wearing “several necklaces” and had a gunshot wound to the left side of her neck, with maggots present in her mouth. Both of her hands, as well as her face and head, were documented as bloody.

Investigators also located several gold 9mm Glock 43X shell casings in the gravel area near the bodies, along with red flip-flops at the edge of the grass.

Police further documented tire marks up the road, indicating a vehicle appeared to have turned around in the brush area and spun out on gravel.

Search Warrant Executed

On September 28, Lt. Dawn M. Hunter of the Orange County Sheriff’s Office applied for a search warrant at Oak Point Apartments, Apartment 204, on Salvet Street in Burlington, North Carolina, as part of the ongoing investigation.

ARREST MADE IN CASE 

On September 19, The North Carolina Beat first reported that authorities had identified a person of interest in the double homicide.

The following morning, September 20, we again reported first that law enforcement would be announcing a suspect later that day.

That afternoon, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office confirmed a 17-year-old suspect had been identified. On October 5, authorities announced the juvenile had been taken into custody.