In a significant development in the 2022 Orange County double homicide case, 19-year-old Issiah Ross has pleaded not guilty to the murders of 14-year-old Lyric Woods and 18-year-old Devin Clark.
During his arraignment on Tuesday, Ross entered his plea, officially setting his trial date for October 27, 2025. The case, which shocked the North Carolina community, began when Woods and Clark were found dead in a rural field near Buckhorn Road in September 2022. Both victims had suffered multiple gunshot wounds.
At the time of the alleged crime, Ross was 17 years old, but he is being prosecuted as an adult. The North Carolina Beat was the first to report Ross as a suspect, revealing that he had briefly attended Eastern Alamance High School, where Clark was also a student.
Investigators noted that shortly after the bodies were discovered, Ross uploaded five songs to his SoundCloud account, with lyrics containing violent themes that some believe referenced the crime.
During the hearing, Assistant District Attorney Anna Orr stated that both victims were “shot while running for their lives,” suggesting an execution-style attack. However, Ross’s defense team argued that the shooting resulted from a struggle over a firearm rather than a premeditated act.
‘Lyric and Devin’s Law’ Inspired by the Case
In response to the tragedy, North Carolina lawmakers passed “Lyric and Devin’s Law” on December 1, 2023. The legislation strengthens law enforcement’s ability to share information about juvenile suspects, aiming to prevent delays in criminal investigations.
