Sampson County police arrested a juvenile Tuesday in the 8-month-long murder case of 11-year-old McKenzie Sessoms.
Sessoms, who lived with her father and siblings, was found dead at her home in Salemburg, N.C. on Sept. 6, 2013. Investigations revealed that she was raped. Sheriff Jimmy Thornton said that the juvenile boy who is below 16 years has been charged with murder and first-degree rape. No further details were given.
ABC News reports that the boy's grandfather, Howard Jones, identified him as 14-year-old Antonio Trey Jones. "If he done it, I'm glad they got him. That's all I can say," said Jones. Antonio stayed with Jones and his father lived next to the Sessoms' home.
According to another family member, Antonio had spoken in a vulgar way to Sessoms, who was a fifth-grader at Salemburg Elementary School. Following that he was not allowed at their house.
"Unfortunately, I cannot release specifics of the investigation due to the integrity of impending legal proceedings and the fact that my detectives are still conducting investigative work related to the case," Sheriff Thornton said.
Investigation reports states that Sessoms' brother had a "rowdy gathering" of friends outside their home the night before she was found dead and her eldest brother went to bed around midnight, reports WRAL.
"(McKenzie) loved riding horses, riding four-wheelers, just hanging out with her friends and putting on makeup," Sessoms' grandmother Cathy Starke said. "She was an 11-year-old child. She wanted to be a nurse or a teacher. She had her whole life to make that plan."
