What happened to Lyric Woods? Her 2022 murder, explained.

Lyric Woods‘ mother last saw her alive around 11 p.m. one night in late September 2022. Her mother said the 14-year-old North Carolina teenager kissed her mom goodnight, told her she loved her, and then said she’d shower. Woods was reported missing the next day when she wasn’t in bed and did not answer her phone.

A few days after she was reported missing, Woods’ and 18-year-old Devin Clark’s bodies were found along a hiking trail in Orange County, North Carolina. Both had been shot multiple times, and were unrecognizable due to the extent of their injuries, and exposure to the elements. A short time later, based on forensic evidence collected at the crime scene, then 17-year-old Issiah Mehki Ross was arrested in Delaware, where he had fled.

Years later, Raleigh news outlet CBS17 reported that Ross remains in custody, awaiting trial. As for Woods, her mother, Elizabeth Cannada, told CBS17 she was known to sneak out at night, not unlike other teenagers. “She wasn’t a bad kid. She was 14,” Woods’ mom added. If her daughter’s murder, she said, “can make one kid think twice about a decision that they’re going to make and change the outcome for one person, their family would not have to go through this.”

How were Woods, Clark, and Ross connected?

Even now, Issiah Ross’ motive for the double murder is unclear. The investigation, however, has revealed details of Lyric Woods and Devin Clark’s final night. Clark and Ross briefly attended high school together. Clark and Woods were reportedly friends, and a few hours after Woods kissed her mother goodnight, she texted Clark, asking him to pick her up. Clark then texted Ross, who picked both Woods and Clark up in his mother’s GMC Terrain. As for Ross and Woods, they had no known previous relationship.

According to Ross, Clark was in possession of his father’s firearm. There was a struggle inside the vehicle, Ross said, and the gun went off, shooting and killing Clark. Ross then said he shot and killed Woods inside the Terrain before he disposed of both bodies.

Ross’ version of events, however, was not supported by forensic evidence or by the victim’s autopsy reports. Blood was found both inside and outside the vehicle. Meanwhile, Woods was shot four times, including twice in her back. Clark was shot five times, three times in his back, and once in the head. This led prosecutors to a different conclusion.

“Devin and Lyric were shot in the back while they were running away from this vehicle,” Orange County Assistant District Attorney Anna Orr said. “They were executed. This was not some struggle over a gun and the gun went off. This was much more serious than that,” Orr added.

Issiah Ross’ rap lyrics, explained

In the days after Devin Clark and Lyric Woods’ murders, Issiah Ross reportedly uploaded rap songs to his SoundCloud page with graphic lyrical content, The News & Observer reported. It’s unclear whether the prosecution will submit the lyrics as evidence. “We have some theories and we have some evidence, but we can’t speculate as to motive at this time,” Orange County Sheriff’s Office public information officer Alicia Stemper said in February 2024, on whether a motive for the crime will ever be known. “I don’t know if we’ll ever know [what the motive was] in this case,” Stemper said.

Ross’ trial has reportedly been pushed back several times, but he remains in custody and held without bond. As of this writing, Wood’s parents can only wait. “We’ve been fighting for justice for so long. No matter what the outcome is, it’s still not justice because we don’t have our kid, no matter what happens,” Woods’ mother, Elizabeth Cannada, said.