4 charged with murder after 16-year-old girl fell off truck
CARY, N.C. - Four young North Carolina residents have been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a 16-year-old girl who fell off of a fleeing truck.
Police in the Raleigh suburb of Cary said Sunday the arrests come after 16-year-old Katherine Burdick-Crow of Cary was found in the road outside a city park on Friday night.
Cary police say investigators believe Burdick-Crow and the four suspects planned to meet for a drug deal. Police say that Burdick-Crow was robbed and while fighting with the suspects fell off of the pickup truck as it was leaving the scene.
Charged with murder are 20-year-old Jourdan Mack, 18-year-old Beth Strange, 17-year-old Abijah Masse, and 17-year-old Joshua Simmons. All are from neighboring Morrisville and were denied bond during a hearing Monday.
Julian Hall, an attorney who represents Masse, tells CBS affiliate WRAL the death was an accident, not murder.
"These are not bad kids you're dealing with," Hall said. "We're not looking at this thing like your typical murder. It seems like an accident."
According to a search warrant obtained by WRAL, Burdick-Crow died while chasing after two of the suspects after they allegedly stole marijuana from her that she planned to sell to them. When the suspects got into a truck, Burdick-Crow jumped onto the step rail near the driver's side door, according to the warrant.
The truck's driver - Simmons - then started driving away and punched Burdick-Crow in the face and head several times until she fell from the moving truck, according to the warrant. She died the next day.
Burdick-Crow's parents released a statement saying they are devastated by their daughter's death.
"Katie was a very loving, caring person and it is a shame for her life to end so soon," they said.