ORANGE COUNTY, N.C. (WTVD) — A high-profile court case more than three years in the making got underway on Monday in Orange County. The hearing started with the discussion of a rejected plea deal and more motions being filed ahead of jury selection.
After rejecting a plea bargain offer by the prosecution on Monday, the murder trial of Issiah Ross, involving two Orange County teens, officially begins on Tuesday with jury selection expected to start.
Issiah Ross is accused of killing two teens, Lyric Woods and Devin Clark, in 2022.
Although Ross was 17 years old at the time of the incident, he is being tried as an adult. He is facing two counts of first-degree murder, which could mean life without parole if convicted by a jury.
The state offered a plea deal that would have dropped the charges to two counts of second-degree murder and avoided a life without parole sentence, but Ross rejected the state’s offer and declined to make a counteroffer.
The judge ensured Ross knowingly and voluntarily made the decision.
“Right now, you understand your case, you got a chance to talk to your lawyer. You understand the plea that’s being offered. You understand the potential for a counteroffer.
Your decision means you don’t want to do any of that,” Judge Anna Orr said.
“Yes, ma’am,” Ross said.
Prosecutor: “The offer to Mr. Ross was that the defendant would plead guilty to two counts of second degree murder, the B-1 felony that the defendant would receive two consecutive sentences of 240 to 300 months, and the State would submit, Mr. Ross, as a level one for sentencing purposes um, your Honor, in addition to that official offer, the defense and I have had some conversations about potentially resolving this at a lower amount of time, but there was not an official counter offer, nor did I extend another official reduced offer.”
Ross has been in custody since his arrest in 2022 and is being tried as an adult.
Woods, who was 14 years old from Orange County, and 18-year-old Clark from Mebane, went missing in September of 2022.
More motions filed
Motions that were granted on Monday include joining the charges into one trial, excluding witnesses from the courtroom with some exceptions, and Ross pleading it was self-defense, although it was filed late, according to the prosecution.
Motions that were granted on Monday include joining the charges into one trial, excluding witnesses from the courtroom with some exceptions, and Ross pleading it was self-defense, although it was filed late, according to the prosecution.
“I do believe the notice was provided outside the statutory timeline … however, at this time I am not objecting to the filing,” the prosecutor said.
Some of the witnesses expected to be in the trial include the victims’ family members, but they’re limited in what they can say.
“Just to the extent that I anticipate them explaining the last time they saw their children and sort of how they discovered that they were missing and filing that police report,” the prosecutor said.
New court filings show jurors may also hear from nine ‘expert witnesses’ that include an FBI special agent and a forensic scientist.
The judge said the trial could last two weeks. The bailiff will begin handling seating arrangements to ensure the jury is separated from family members.
How we got here
Both their families had separately reported Woods and Clark missing.
Law enforcement says they didn’t know the two cases were connected until two men riding four-wheelers found their bodies with multiple gunshot wounds.
The discovery shook the family, friends, and the community to the core.
ABC11 spoke with Orange County Sheriff Charles Blackwood on Sunday, who remembers Woods as a teen whose life was taken too soon.
“It’s very, very difficult not to let your personal feelings wander into these types of instances, especially if you’re a parent, whether you’re a seasoned investigator or brand new on the job. It hits you and you realize the frailty of life,” said Sheriff Blackwood.
Evidence led law enforcement to Issiah Ross 2 weeks later, who had made his way to Delaware.
The public learned that Ross and Clark attended the same high school, but details about a possible motive have been sealed.
Prosecutors say evidence from a witness describes Ross confessing to killing and dumping Woods and Clark’s bodies.
Prosecutors also claim Ross shot Woods and Clark as they were trying to run away.
Both attorneys stated the gun used to kill the teenagers was a 9-millimeter owned by Clark’s father.
“Their memory will sustain. And I feel it’s important for us to keep their memory alive. And it’s important that their departure from our lives doesn’t define who they were. And again, serves as a reminder of just how precious life is,” said Sheriff Blackwood.
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