Michelle Marie Young, 29, Murdered Nov. 2006, NC
911 Recording Released In Wake Mother's Slaying Sheriff: 'I Have No Compassion For Whoever Did This' POSTED: 12:18 pm EST November 6, 2006 UPDATED: 10:02 pm EST November 6, 2006 RALEIGH, N.C. -- A young Raleigh mother appeared lifeless and blood was everywhere when her sister found her lying face-down on her stomach in her bedroom last Friday afternoon, according to a portion of a 911 recording released Monday afternoon. "I think my sister's dead," a frantic Meredith Fisher tells the Wake County 911 dispatcher. Authorities said blunt force trauma killed Michelle Marie Young, 29, but they haven't released any further information. Young was about 20 weeks pregnant with her second child, authorities said. Investigators said that Young's husband, Jason Young, who was out of town, had asked Fisher to go to the house to pick up a fax for him. When she arrived at the scene, "the dog was freaking out" and "the place does not look like what it normally looks like," she says in the 911 call. She also tells the dispatcher she found Young's 2-year-old daughter, who authorities said was unharmed, at her mother's side. "There's like blood footprints all over the house, like her daughter's little footprints," Fisher says in the five-minute recording, in which she tries to quiet the child and keep her in a room while she talks to authorities. Fisher can also be heard asking the child if she knew what happened, if her mother had fallen and if anyone had been in the home. Authorities said there was no sign of forced entry at the house, located in the Enchanted Oaks subdivision at 5108 Birchleaf Drive, and authorities said the slaying doesn't appear to be a random act of violence. Meanwhile on Monday, Wake County investigators continued combing the house for evidence. They also conducted interviews with people who knew Michelle Young. "I feel like we're going in the right direction," Wake County Sheriff Donnie Harrison said, "and it's just going to take time and good police work." Authorities said they believe Young had company until about 10:30 p.m. Thursday. Jason Young had left town Thursday night for a business trip and was at his parents' home in Brevard when his sister-in-law found the body Friday afternoon, authorities said. Harrison said Monday that investigators had not yet interviewed Jason Young. "We probably will be talking to him pretty quickly," he said. "He was talked to just briefly Friday afternoon, and that's all." Investigators confirmed Monday afternoon that they had impounded his car and its contents. People close to the case told WRAL that he is speaking with an attorney. Investigators, however, have not named any suspects and have asked that anyone who might have seen suspicious activity or unfamiliar vehicles on Birchleaf Drive between midnight and 6 a.m. Friday to call the Wake County Sheriff's Office at 919-856-6800. "I have no compassion for whoever did this. I'm just hoping we can make a speedy arrest," Harrison said, adding that he was glad Young's daughter was not harmed. "I think it's a tragedy that anyone would do this to start with, but with a child in the house like this, it just makes me mad. I'm going to be honest with you," he said. http://www.wral.com/news/10252313/detail.html

Funeral Arrangements Made For Slain Mother POSTED: 6:58 pm EST November 7, 2006 UPDATED: 7:00 pm EST November 7, 2006 RALEIGH, N.C. -- Funeral arrangements have been made and a memorial fund has been established for a slain Wake County mother. A funeral service for Michelle Young, 29, is scheduled for 11 a.m. Thursday at Brown-Wynne Funeral Home on Saint Mary's Street. In lieu of flowers, family members ask that contributions be made to benefit her 2-year-old daughter, Cassidy. The family has established an education fund for her: Michelle Young Memorial, P.O. Box 18708, Raleigh, N.C. 27619. Preliminary autopsy results indicate Young, who was pregnant with her second child, died from blunt force trauma. Her sister found her in the bedroom of her house on Friday afternoon. Cassidy was found unharmed at her mother's side, authorities said. She is currently staying with relatives. Authorities said there was no sign of forced entry at the house, located in the Enchanted Oaks subdivision at 5108 Birchleaf Drive, and authorities said the slaying does not appear to be a random act of violence. Authorities said they believe Young had company until about 10:30 p.m. Thursday. Young's husband, Jason Young, had left town Thursday night for a business trip and was at his parents' home in Brevard when his sister-in-law found the body Friday afternoon, authorities said. Investigators have interviewed the couple's family and friends, and sources tell WRAL that the Wake County Sheriff's Office is making progress in the case. Investigators, however, have not named any suspects and have asked that anyone who might have seen suspicious activity or unfamiliar vehicles on Birchleaf Drive between midnight and 6 a.m. Friday to call the Wake County Sheriff's Office at 919-856-6800. http://www.wral.com/news/10267286/detail.html

Slain Woman's Husband Comes Under Scrutiny POSTED: 11:35 am EST November 8, 2006 UPDATED: 11:24 pm EST November 8, 2006 RALEIGH, N.C. -- The husband of a young Wake County woman found dead in her home last Friday was seen with a prominent local defense attorney late Wednesday morning at a county crime office. Jason Young, 32, was responding to a court order that allows authorities to take physical evidence from someone close to a criminal case. He arrived with attorney Roger W. Smith Jr. at the City County Bureau of Identification at the Wake County Public Safety Center. Young's wife, Michelle Young, 29, died last week from blunt force trauma, according to preliminary autopsy reports. She was also about 20 weeks pregnant with her second child at the time. Under law, the basis for the non-testimonial order is when "there are reasonable grounds to suspect the person named or described in the affidavit committed the offense." Detectives can collect blood samples and DNA samples as well as fingerprints, Wake County District Attorney Colon Willoughby said. Authorities, however, have not named Young as a suspect in the case, Wake sheriff's spokeswoman Phyllis Stevens said Wednesday evening. The CCBI is a specialized fingerprint identification bureau that helps Wake County law enforcement agencies identify perpetrators of crime. Jason and Michelle Young. Michelle Young, who was pregnant with her second child, was found dead in her Raleigh home on Nov. 3. CCBI personnel took Young, who responded to the order voluntarily, into a fingerprinting area of the building, locked the door to the public and closed the shades. He then left through a back door. Authorities said Young had left town Thursday night for a business trip and was at his parents' home in Brevard when his sister-in-law found Michelle Young's body Friday afternoon. The couple's 2-year-old daughter was found unharmed at her mother's side, authorities said. She is now staying with relatives. Investigators said there was no sign of forced entry at the house, at 5108 Birchleaf Drive, and authorities said the slaying does not appear to be a random act of violence. Crime scene investigators remained at the residence Wednesday collecting evidence. Authorities said they have interviewed the couple's family and friends, and sources tell WRAL that they are making progress in the case. Investigators, however, have not named any suspects and ask that anyone who might have seen suspicious activity or unfamiliar vehicles in the area between midnight and 6 a.m. Friday to call the Wake County Sheriff's Office at 919-856-6800. Young's attorney, Smith, is a lawyer at Tharrington Smith Attorneys at Law in Raleigh, a firm that has represented a number of high-profile clients in recent years. Among them: former North Carolina Agriculture Commissioner Meg Scott Phipps, who was sentenced to federal prison for fraud; Ann Miller Kontz, who pleaded guilty to the poisoning death of her husband in December 2000; and Collin Finnerty, one of three Duke lacrosse athletes accused of raping an exotic dancer. Michelle Young Remembered Michelle Young's funeral is scheduled for 11 a.m. Thursday at Brown-Wynne Funeral Home on Saint Mary's Street in Raleigh. Family and friends gathered there Wednesday evening to pay their respects and to remember the woman who they said was a dedicated Wolfpack fan, devoted mother and loving wife. High school friends described Michelle Young as a "normal down-to-earth person" who was captain of her cheerleading squad at Sayville High School in West Sayville N.Y., where she graduated in 1995. They said she was very happily married, was thrilled to be a mother and thrilled about being a mom again. "They obviously loved each other very much," said Vince Andrews, a friend of Jason Young. "They were both young, not too far out of college and starting a family. It's just awful." http://www.wral.com/news/10273399/detail.html

Posted on Thu, Nov. 09, 2006 Evidence ordered from N.C. husband Sarah Ovaska, Thomasi McDonald and Marlon Walker (Raleigh) News & Observer Jason Young's wife, Michelle, was found dead last week in their home south of Raleigh. She was several months pregnant. RALEIGH - The husband of Michelle Marie Young, a pregnant Wake County woman killed in her home last week, has been compelled to submit evidence that could include his fingerprints or a blood sample. Michelle Young, 29, was found by her sister -- dead and bloodied from some type of blunt force trauma -- Friday afternoon in the couple's home on Birchleaf Drive in the Enchanted Oaks subdivision south of Raleigh. The couple's 2-year-old daughter, Cassidy, was in the home unharmed. Jason L. Young, 32, was in the Western North Carolina town of Brevard visiting family when his wife's body was found, Wake County Sheriff Donnie Harrison has said. A Wake County Superior Court judge ordered Jason Young this week to provide sheriff's office investigators with fingerprints, blood samples or other forms of material evidence, said Colon Willoughby, Wake County's district attorney. On Wednesday morning, Young went with his attorney to the sheriff's office in Raleigh to follow through with what is called a nontestimonial identification order, Willoughby said. The standard form used in nontestimonial identification orders refers to the targeted person -- Young in this case -- as a suspect but does not require that the person make a statement, nor can he or she be interrogated by detectives, Willoughby said. No arrests have been made in the case. Calls to Young's attorney for comment were not returned Wednesday afternoon. A copy of the order, which would detail evidence gathered from Young, has not yet been posted as a public document. Michelle Young, a native of New York, was an N.C. State University graduate and senior tax consultant with Progress Energy. She was several months pregnant and expecting a son. Once Jason Young arrived in the Raleigh area from Brevard after the discovery of his wife's body, the sheriff's office seized his car as well as the luggage and belongings of family members who came with him, his stepfather Gerald McIntyre said earlier this week. McIntyre advised Young to get a lawyer. Sheriff's investigators can legally use a nontestimonial order to obtain such evidence as fingerprints, palm prints, footprints, blood specimens, hair samples, voice samples and photographs. Willoughby said the order is less intrusive than a search warrant and requires the judge to hear less evidence before approving the order. "The order is usually obtained when a person is not in custody, but are trying to gather evidence because of their suspicions to complete their investigation," Willoughby said. Law investigators can only obtain the order for offenses that are punishable by imprisonment for more than one year. "It's not unusual for us to get a nontestimonial identification order," Willoughby said. Also on Wednesday, relatives and friends gathered at Brown-Wynne Funeral Home on Raleigh's St. Mary's Street to attend Michelle Young's wake. Some wiped tears and hugged as dozens of people poured in and out of the chapel throughout the service. Raleigh police officials, responding to requests from Michelle Young's family, kept reporters off funeral home property. Michelle Young's funeral will be at 11 a.m. today at the funeral home. Staff writer Sarah Ovaska can be reached at sovaska@newsobserver.com. http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/15970691.htm

Slain Mother Laid To Rest; Case Draws National Attention POSTED: 12:46 pm EST November 9, 2006 UPDATED: 6:34 am EST November 10, 2006 RALEIGH, N.C. -- Family members and friends Thursday gathered for the funeral of a young mother who was found dead in her Raleigh home. Flowers draped the casket and the song "Isn't She Lovely" played during the service. But friends of Michelle Young said it did not do their friend justice. "What I remember mostly about Michelle is that her smile just lit up the room," said friend Laura Studdard. "She was so nice, and she was so smart and so pretty -- it's just so sad to me, right now." The 29-year-old mother, who was four months pregnant with her second child -- a boy -- was found face-down in her bedroom last Friday afternoon. Her 2-year-old daughter was by her mother's side, unharmed, authorities said. She died from blunt-force trauma, according to preliminary autopsy reports. Authorities said there were no signs of forced entry into the home. Media Attention Intensifies As investigators continue to collect evidence and conduct interviews, the focus of the case has expanded beyond Raleigh and has attracted national media attention, headlining Wednesday and Thursday nights' "On the Record with Greta Van Susteren" on Fox News. Michelle Young with her daughter, Cassidy. The 29-year-old expectant mother was found dead in her Raleigh home Nov. 3. Her daughter was found unharmed at her side. "Anytime a child is involve, the media picks up on it quicker," said Wake County Sheriff Donnie Harrison. "It's a terrible crime." In addition to Fox News, the CBS investigative news magazine "48 Hours" and Court TV have expressed an interest in the case. "It's a mystery. That is what's so gripping about it," Van Susteren told WRAL Thursday evening. "People are supposed to be safe in their homes, but they're not, as demonstrated by this woman." (Watch Full Interview) Investigators said Young had been at home with friends until about 10:30 p.m. the night before her body was found. Her husband, Jason Young, told authorities he was out of town on business when his sister-in-law, Meredith Fisher, found his wife's body. Fisher told authorities she had received a call from Jason Young asking her to go to his house to pick up something. Authorities said it was a fax. Authorities have collected evidence and conducted interviews, but have not said whether they have any suspects in the case. On Wednesday, Jason Young responded to a court order that he give fingerprint evidence to the City County Bureau of Identification. A Wake County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman said Wednesday evening, however, that he had not been identified as a suspect. Van Susteren said that besides the mystery and intrigue surrounding the case, putting it on a national stage could help local law enforcement. "Maybe someone saw something. Maybe someone has a tip, so we put the word out," she said. Harrison has said the local media have helped get witnesses to come forward or call in tips about the case. But he cautions that he and his investigators must choose their words carefully when talking with the media. "We're careful and try not to say anything or give any evidence away that would hurt us down the road," Harrison said. http://www.wral.com/news/10282276/detail.html

Mother Of Slain Wake County Woman Seeks Public's Help POSTED: 1:53 pm EST November 13, 2006 UPDATED: 5:36 pm EST November 13, 2006 RALEIGH, N.C. -- The mother of a slain Wake County woman on Monday asked for the public's help for information that may lead to an arrest in the case. "I'm asking for anyone who has seen or heard anything -- as trivial as you might think it is, anything -- please come forward and help find the person who murdered our daughter, my daughter," Linda Fisher said. Fisher's daughter, Michelle Young, was found dead in her home south of Raleigh on Nov. 3. Authorities said Young's 2-year-old daughter was with her, but she was not harmed. Authorities said Young was pregnant with her second child at the time of her death. Accompanied by her other daughter, Meredith Fisher, Linda Fisher said her family is heartbroken after losing a daughter, a granddaughter, a sister and the mother of her only grandchild. She said she had faith in the investigators that they would solve the case and bring her family some sense of justice. "Michelle, we're doing this for your, honey," she said. Meanwhile, investigators were back at the house Monday gathering physical evidence. Michele Young's husband, Jason Young, has reportedly left the area with his daughter. Jason Young last week complied with a request from authorities to provide fingerprints. But authorities haven't named him a suspect in the case and haven't interviewed him. He said he was out of town on a business trip and a visit to his parents house in western North Carolina when his wife was killed. http://www.wral.com/news/10309124/detail.html

Former Cheerleading Coach Remembers Slain Mother's 'Light' POSTED: 9:59 pm EST November 16, 2006 UPDATED: 10:20 pm EST November 16, 2006 RALEIGH, N.C. -- There are still more questions than answers in the homicide of a pregnant Wake County mother. But the one thing no one is questioning is what a bright light Michelle Young was to everyone who knew her. Almost two weeks after the murder of 29-year-old Young in her Wake County home, many people are just realizing she was formerly Michelle Fisher- a popular cheerleader at North Carolina State University. Former Wolfpack cheerleading coach Cathy Buckey didn't recognize her when the story broke, but soon realized Young was one of her star cheerleaders 10 years ago. "Her smile would light up a room," said Buckey. "Not only just her smile, but her eyes would twinkle and her face would light up." But Buckey also remembers Young as a friend. "Just a really fun, nice, gregarious girl. Everybody loved her and she was everybody's friend," Buckey said. Buckey said she is hopeful that investigators will find the person responsible for taking Michelle's life. "To have her 2-year-old daughter there (when Young died) -- that's heinous, that's awful. So yes, I want them to find somebody," Buckey said. Michelle Young's husband, Jason, told investigators he was out of town on business when his wife was killed. Under a court order, he gave them his fingerprints, but hasn't been interviewed. Investigators have said they have no suspects. http://www.wral.com/news/10340378/detail.html

Police Canvass Neighborhood For Clues In Slain Mother's Death POSTED: 9:47 pm EST November 17, 2006 UPDATED: 10:07 pm EST November 17, 2006 RALEIGH, N.C. -- Part of the Michelle Young murder investigation wrapped up Friday, but there were still no arrests as investigators went door-to-door in a nearby neighborhood looking for clues. The crime scene tape around the house owned by Young and her husband, Jason, was removed Friday as detectives finished collecting evidence. Soon afterward, an unidentified family member or friend returned to the home. But the investigation is far from over. "The sheriff came by and he asked us if we had seen or heard anything about the murder," said Margaret Jones. Jones was babysitting her granddaughter when the Wake County sheriff's investigator knocked on the door. Jones' neighborhood, mostly made up of mobile homes, backs up to the Enchanted Oaks Subdivsion where Michelle Young lived. Curtis Hester also lives in the neighborhood. He said detectives came to his house asking if he had ever met Michelle Young or been in her house. "I really didn't think to much of it. I thought it was appropriate," said Hester. James Wilder was also questioned as detectives canvassed the neighborhood. "He asked if I had seen anything or heard anything," said Wilder. "He was trying to get all the information that he could on that killing." Young was found beaten to death in her home two weeks ago, with her 2-year-old daughter found unharmed by her side. "It's really a disgrace for anybody to be beaten or killed like she was," said Jones Police have not named any suspects, but Jason Young was ordered to submit fingerprints and other evidence. He told investigators he was out of town on business when his wife was killed. Michelle Young's sister found the body after Jason Young asked her to pick up a fax at the house that he didn't want his wife to see. Jason Young and his daughter reportedly have been staying with family out of town. Sources told WRAL he returned to Raleigh on Friday and was seen at a local cemetary visiting his wife's grave. http://www.wral.com/news/10349077/detail.html

Investigators Cite Progress In Slain Mom's Homicide Case POSTED: 4:31 pm EST November 28, 2006 UPDATED: 4:51 pm EST November 28, 2006 RALEIGH, N.C. -- More than three weeks after a young mother was found dead in her home, Wake County's sheriff says investigators are making progress in the case. "You've got a puzzle, you've got to get it together," Sheriff Donnie Harrison said Tuesday. "And all this evidence, all this data, all this information we've collected, we've got to go through each one of them, and who knows? The next piece may be the piece we're looking for." Harrison said investigators have conducted more than 100 interviews and continue to follow leads on a daily basis in the slaying of Michelle Young, 29. As many as 15 to 20 people from the sheriff's office and City County Bureau of Identification are working on the case, he said. On Nov. 3, Young's sister found her face-down inside her bedroom with Young's 2-year-old daughter, unharmed, by her mother's side. A preliminary autopsy found that Young had died from blunt-force trauma. Young, who was 20 weeks pregnant at her death, was last seen alive the night before her body was found. Authorities said she had been entertaining some friends at her home. Her husband, Jason Young, was out of town when his wife's body was found. Investigators have received at least 65 leads in the case, Harrison said, and have traveled across North Carolina and to three other states trying to solve the case. Crime scene investigators spent more than 10 days inside Young's house, located on Birchleaf Drive, south of Raleigh, collecting evidence. Harrison said the State Bureau of Investigation crime lab, CCBI and a private lab are still working to analyze the evidence. "You want to go through it very slowly," he said. "It's a meticulous job, but we want to make sure we don't miss something." Authorities still have not named a suspect, and Harrison said Tuesday that investigators are not letting outside pressure interfere with the case. "If and when we make the arrest, we want a case that we can go to court and feel good about," he said. http://www.wral.com/news/10416388/detail.html

Tooth Reportedly Found At Young Crime Scene POSTED: 6:27 pm EST November 30, 2006 UPDATED: 9:18 pm EST November 30, 2006 RALEIGH, N.C. -- Family members of a young Wake County mother found dead in her home found what they thought to be her tooth after crime scene investigators completed their work. The City County Bureau of Investigation confirmed the discovery Thursday, but said the tooth would not have helped solved who killed Michelle Young. A preliminary autopsy found that Young, 29, had died from blunt-force trauma. Her sister found her dead on Nov. 3 when she went to Young's home. "We feel like we did a very thorough job," said CCBI Director Sam Pennica. "This particular item was very small, and not knowing where it was found, I can only assume that it was a location (that) would have been hidden." Pennica added that the tooth has nothing to do with the case and would not have led to the identity of the perpetrator who killed Young. "It's an item that had we recovered it, had we seen it, we would have sent it with the body, and it would have been buried," Pennica said. Investigators spent about 13 days at the home, located in the Enchanted Oaks subdivision south of Raleigh, before releasing the scene to family. Young's sister-in-law apparently found the tooth near the bed while cleaning up in the bedroom. The discovery has led Young's family members to question the completeness of the investigation, sources close to the case said. Young's husband, Jason Young, has not commented about the case, and family members there refused to comment when WRAL went to his sister's home in Aberdeen on Thursday. Wake County Sheriff Donnie Harrison said Thursday that he has complete confidence in the CCBI's work on the case. Meanwhile, investigators briefed the Wake County District Attorney's Office on the case Thursday. Authorities still have not named any suspects in the case, but Harrison said earlier this week that investigators are making strong progress and have been working every day on the case. Detectives, he said, have conducted more than 100 interviews and have followed up on at least 65 leads in the case. They have also traveled across North Carolina and to three other states as part of their investigation. Fingerprint samples have also been taken from numerous people who knew Michelle Young, including Jason Young and other members of the Young family. Crime lab experts are still analyzing the evidence. http://www.wral.com/news/10435063/detail.html

Warrants Provide Insight Into Michelle Young Homicide Case POSTED: 3:34 pm EST December 7, 2006 UPDATED: 11:11 pm EST December 7, 2006 RALEIGH, N.C. -- The husband of a young pregnant mother found dead in her home last month has been uncooperative with law-enforcement authorities and was having a relationship with a Florida woman, according to search warrants made public Thursday. "Wake County sheriff's investigators have attempted to interview Jason Lynn Young; he has been uncooperative," according to an affidavit for a search warrant dated Nov. 21. Young's wife, Michelle Young, 29, was found dead in her home on Nov. 3. A preliminary autopsy report indicated that she died from blunt force trauma. Jason Young talked with investigators the day his wife's body was found and later gave fingerprints under a court order, but Wake County Sheriff Donnie Harrison said Thursday that he has refused to speak with investigators. "I sure would like to sit down and talk to him or have my investigators sit down and talk with him," Harrison said. Warrants also indicate that Jason Young had a relationship with Michelle Money, of Ocoee, Fla., for a period of about three months before Michelle Young's death. Investigators confirmed the relationship with Money, who said she and Jason Young had corresponded daily via phone and e-mail, the warrants said. Wake County Sheriff Donnie Harrison said Money has been cooperative with investigators. Investigators spent about two weeks at the crime scene at 5108 Birchleaf Drive, collecting evidence before releasing the house back to the Young family. Authorities seized a number of pieces of evidence from the Young residence that belong to Jason Young, including a U.S. Airways baggage claim ticket for Jason Young, a United Airlines ticket, a U.S. Airways MasterCard statement, a hotel confirmation and a hotel receipt. Three wedding photos and three manila file folders containing a will and insurance papers were also taken from the home, as were computer hard drives, two cellular phones, answering-machine messages, videos, two camcorders, DVDs and digital images. A third cellular phone was taken from Jason Young's Ford Explorer, the warrants indicated. Investigators have been tight-lipped about the direction they are taking with the case. Although they have not named any suspects, Harrison confirmed Thursday that the alleged relationship has put more focus on Jason Young as a suspect. "If I said no, I probably would be telling a lie," Harrison said, refusing to speak further about the relationship. "We look at anything like that. I'm not saying it had anything to do with the murder, but we're looking into it." WRAL was unable to reach Jason Young and for comment Thursday. Raleigh attorney, Roger Smith Jr., whose name was also listed in the warrants, had no comment. Harrison has said that investigators are making strong progress, having conducted more than 100 interviews and followed up on at least 65 leads in the case. They have also traveled across North Carolina and to three other states as part of their investigation. Michelle Young was last seen alive the night before her death. She apparently had been visiting with friends at her home until about 10:30 p.m. Jason Young, authorities said, was out of town on business and had left a voicemail for Michelle Young's sister, Meredith Fisher, to go to the house on Friday afternoon to retrieve a document off of a printer. Fisher went to the house and found Young lying facedown in her bedroom. The Youngs' 2-year-old daughter was at her mother's side, unharmed, authorities said. The child is believed to be staying with her father. Sources have indicated that they have been staying with family, but it was unclear exactly where. http://www.wral.com/news/10484724/detail.html

Husband Stays Out Of Sight In Probe Of Wake Mother's Slaying POSTED: 6:51 pm EST December 8, 2006 UPDATED: 11:31 pm EST December 8, 2006 BREVARD, N.C. -- Where in the world is Jason Young? That's the question a lot of people are asking in light of the release of search warrants Thursday that seem to put more focus on him. So, WRAL drove 300 miles west to try and answer this question. Young's pregnant wife, Michelle, was found beaten to death in their Raleigh home on Nov. 3 with their 2-year-old daughter unharmed by her side. Almost immediately, Jason Young hired an attorney and refused to speak to investigators. Authorities do not call him a suspect, but their search warrants shed new light on his activities leading up to his wife's death. They indicated Thursday that in the three months prior to her murder, he was in almost daily contact by phone and e-mail with a woman named Michelle Money. Money was in Michelle Young's sorority at North carolina State University and reportedly was a close friend of the couple's. Sources close to the case have put Jason and his daughter, Cassidy, at his sister and brother-in-law's home near Brevard. Joe and Heather's brick ranch home is on a steep, curvy stretch of roadway in a nice tree-lined subdivision. White Christmas lights draped the home and wrapped around a white metal Christmas tree. Two brown dogs alternately poke around on the grassy hill in front of the home and then stretch out on the porch. Children got off of a school bus, laughing and carrying heavy book bags, and headed toward their homes, passing the house without a glance. When WRAL reporter Amanda Lamb first approached the house, Heather, Jason Young's sister, greeted her. She opened the door just a crack, confirmed she was Jason's sister, and told Lamb repeatedly that she had no comment. She also wouldn't tell Lamb whether Jason Young was at the home or comment on Thursday's developments, saying the family is grieving and they want to be left alone. When Joe, Jason Young's brother-in-law, came home from work with a bag of Christmas wrapping paper in hand, Lamb asked him if Jason Young was at the home. Joe told Lamb that as far as he knew, his brother-in-law had returned to Raleigh. As the family in Brevard prepared for Christmas, Michelle Young's mother, Linda Fisher, told WRAL that her daughter loved Christmas and enjoyed everything about it, especially decorating. So the question remains -- where is Jason Young? It's not clear, but Michelle Young's car was parked in Joe and Heather's garage on Friday. http://www.wral.com/news/10498559/detail.html

Slain Woman's Husband Gets SUV Back From Detectives Posted: Jan. 4 8:19 p.m. Updated: Jan. 4 11:06 p.m. Raleigh — Wake County investigators have released the vehicle of a man whose wife was killed two months ago. They confiscated and searched Jason Young’s white Ford Explorer shortly after his pregnant wife, Michelle Young, was found beaten to death Nov. 3 in the couple’s Wake County home. Late Thursday afternoon, Jason Young’s attorney, Roger Smith, picked up the vehicle for his client from the Wake County Sheriff’s Office. Investigators are not calling Jason Young a suspect, but he was one person ordered him to turn over fingerprints shortly after the crime. Search warrants also say that Jason Young was having a relationship with a woman in Florida and that he was not cooperating with investigators. http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/1126901/

People Magazine to Feature Case of Slain Mother Posted: Jan. 10 12:35 p.m. Updated: 44 minutes ago Raleigh — People magazine plans to feature the case of Michelle Young's murder in the issue coming out Friday. Young, 29, was found beaten to death in her Wake County home Nov. 3. She was pregnant at the time of her death, and her 2-year-old daughter was found unharmed by her side. Authorities haven't made an arrest in the case. People has made the murder mystery its cover story for its next issue, with the headline "Murder on a Quiet Street." The four-page spread includes photos of Young with her family, the Young house on Birchleaf Drive, and her mother, Linda Fisher, pleading for public help to solve the case. Jason Young, who said he was out of town on a business trip when his wife was killed, hasn't been named as a suspect in the case, but authorities have focused their attention on him. Investigators said Jason Young was having a relationship with another woman and did not cooperate with authorities. http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/1132362/