The Murders of Devin Clark & Lyric Woods
Devin Clark, 18, and Lyric Woods, 14, were found lying in thick grass, on the side of an ATV access trail, just off the intersection of Buckhorn Road and Yarborough Road in rural Mebane, North Carolina. They had both died of multiple gunshot wounds. Issiah Ross, 17, has been arrested for their murders; he is awaiting court proceedings.
Devin Clark
Although the couple had separated years prior, Devin Clark remained close with both of his parents and lived with his father. He attended East Alamance High School in Mebane and was on the football team. His grades were excellent. Those who knew him noted he was handsome, friendly, and kind.
On September 17, 2022, Tiffany Concepcion, Devin’s mother, saw a social media post regarding a local teenager, Lyric Woods. The post stated that Woods had been missing since the previous night. It surprised her to see a separate picture of her son, Devin, who the post also listed as missing. She immediately called Devin’s father, who stated that it was not unusual for Devin to be out overnight; being that Devin was 18 years old, he trusted Devin’s judgment, and initially believed that their son was ok. Concepcion did not share the same opinion and contacted authorities to learn about her son’s alleged disappearance. It has not been made public on how authorities learned of Devin’s initial disappearance, but Concepcion has stated that she learned about her son’s initial report on social media. Concepcion began exhaustive efforts (to the best of her ability) to help in the discovery of any information regarding the disappearance of her son, Devin, and Lyric Woods. Just a few hours after she initiated filing an official missing person’s report, the body of her son was discovered.
Lyric Woods
Lyric Woods’s parents had divorced years prior, and both had remarried spouses with existing children. This made for two blended families. Lyric was incredibly close to both sides of her family. She lived with her mother and stepfather, Shane Cannada, on Mt Winning Road, Mebane, North Carolina. Lyric was a student at Cedar Ridge High School in nearby Hillsborough. People who knew her described Lyric as a beautiful, kind, fun-loving 14-year-old.
On September 16, 2022, Lyric’s stepfather heard Lyric getting into the shower at around 11:00 p.m. which was not something out of the norm. It wasn’t until the next morning that her parents learned Lyric was not in the house. They determined she had not run away from home. All of her belongings, including her cellphone were still there, but they noticed her iPad was missing. Her parents immediately contacted police and a missing person’s report was filed.
The Discovery of Devin Clark and Lyric Woods
On September 18, 2022, two young people were riding their ATVs at approximately 3:00 p.m. in a very rural part of Orange County, NC, when they discovered the remains of two people. The ATV riders quickly rode back to one of their houses before calling 911 emergency dispatch.
The Investigation
Investigators determined fairly quickly the remains were that of Devin Clark and Lyric Woods. The medical examiner ruled their death as homicide. Both Clark and Woods had been shot multiple times. Detectives noted that most of Clark’s injuries were to the head and neck area while Woods’ injuries were primarily to her torso. Shell casings were in the general vicinity but police have not yet announced any additional information regarding evidence. Investigators said that they discovered a few key points of evidence found at the scene that led them to a possible suspect’s identity.
Police dispatched a K9 search team to Lyric Woods’ home on Mt. Willing Road because her residence was less than two miles from where the teens were discovered. The K9 tracked Lyric’s scent from the rear of her residence, across their lawn and into a small wooded area. Beyond the wooded area is a small rural road which investigators believe is the location where she was picked-up. Devin did not have a car or driver’s license, so this prompted investigators to think that a third person picked Lyric up late that night. Police believe the murderer had killed Devin and Lyric just shortly after.
Investigators learned from Buckhorn Road area residents that they heard several gunshots in the early morning hours of September 17, 2022, but they couldn’t provide any further information.
Issiah Ross Has Been Arrested
The Orange County Sheriff’s Office – Hillsborough, NC made an announcement on October 5, 2002, that they had apprehended a juvenile who they believe was (allegedly) involved in the murders of Devin Clark and Lyric Woods.
On the day that the bodies of Clark and Woods were discovered, a juvenile suspect had fled the Orange County, NC area and traveled to the state of Delaware. He had been there approximately one month before being captured by the Delaware Streets Task Force (FBI violent crimes) in Dover, Delaware. They took the juvenile into custody before they extradited him back to Orange County, North Carolina. Police had found him at an apartment in Dover. Nakaysha Ross, 22, the suspect’s sister, and McKenzie Mitchell, 21, will have to answer to charges of hindering prosecution.
On November 7, 2022, the accused teen’s legal team failed to file an appeal for the young man to be tried as a juvenile. The court determined that the seventeen-year-old will be tried as an adult. He was indicted on two counts of first degree murder and identified as Issiah Ross, 17.
According to sources, immediately following the murders, Ross (an aspiring rapper/musician), uploaded a handful of songs online that allegedly mention darker themes such as murder. Upon searching his previously written material, this appeared to be a reoccurring theme over several years prior. In addition, local news sources reported Ross was enrolled as a student for just a couple of days at East Alamance High School, August 29, 2002 – September 3, 2022.
The Present State of Affairs
At present, Issiah Ross has been indicted on two counts of first-degree murder. He is being housed in an unnamed juvenile facility because of his age and will remain there until his pending trial. A judge has not ruled whether Ross will stay at the juvenile facility or he will be transferred to an adult facility once he turns 18-years-old. A judge has not set a trial date.
A red cross has been placed in the location of where Devin and Lyric were discovered. In a show of compassion, Lyric’s grandfather installed (solar) lights on the cross because he stated Lyric was known to be afraid of the dark. Investigators found this interesting because of the dark path that Lyric took when she left her house that night.
