The former boyfriend of Danielle Locklear confessed Tuesday, just shy of a month since the teen disappeared, that he killed her and dumped her body into the South River, Hope Mills Police said.
Hope Mills Police Chief Joel Acciardo said Tuesday that Je'Michael Malloy, 17, choked Danielle to death following an argument in March.
Malloy and his friend 18-year-old Dominic Lock are accused of transporting Danielle's body to a bridge above the South River that night, Acciardo said during an emergency press conference Tuesday night.
Malloy, of N.C. 210 South, was charged with second-degree murder, authorities said. Lock, of Cade Hill Avenue, was booked on the same charges. Both have $100,000 bail.
Since April 2, when a female body was found in the river about 5:30 p.m. near the Cumberland-Sampson county line, investigators, family members and the community have been waiting for the results from the North Carolina Medical Examiner's Office.
Acciardo, at the press conference at the Cumberland County Detention Center, said the body had not been positively identified as Danielle's, but that Malloy's admission matches investigators' findings.
Danielle's description and the clothing she wore also led to the confirmation, a news release said.
A relative of Danielle's confirmed the news on the "Find Danielle Locklear 'Dannie' " Facebook page late Tuesday night.
"It is with a heavy heart I post that confirmation has been received - the body found in the South River April 2 was that of Danielle Locklear," the post said. "Please keep her and her family in your prayers and surround them with love. R.I.P. Dannie! Two suspects have been arrested. Thank you all for your prayers."
Malloy's confession came nearly a month after Hope Mills Police first began a search for Danielle that grew to a 50-person task force, which included the State Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
On March 11, Danielle, a freshman at South View High School, told her grandfather she was going to see a friend about a block away from their house on Trencholm Road. They lived in the Fox Meadow subdivision off Legion Road in Hope Mills.
That night, Acciardo said Malloy admitted to getting into an argument with Danielle. Malloy told police the conversation turned violent and he choked her to death, Acciardo said. He shoved her sock into her mouth, Acciardo said.
Police say Lock later joined Malloy in transporting Danielle's body to the river. Authorities say cinder blocks were used to weigh down her body.
On March 13, Danielle's grandfather reported Danielle was missing, setting off a weeks-long investigation that led police to comb the area in and around the neighborhood and South View High School.
Police traced the last signal from her cellphone to an area off Claude Lee Road, but the phone was not found.
On March 23, hundreds of volunteers turned out for a ground search of a wooded area near Little Rockfish Creek in Hope Mills. The area sits behind the Fox Meadow subdivision.
Supporters continued to rally around Locklear's family, and tips poured into Hope Mills police. On March 29, more than 200 people released nearly 1,000 balloons to continue to draw attention to the case. Danielle's family members were in attendance.
"Danielle, baby, if you see these balloons, come home," her mother, Rowna Fowler, said then, fighting back tears.
Malloy wasn't initially a suspect, Acciardo said, but became a part of the investigation after a tip - and information gathered by officers - led authorities to the teenager.
The off-duty detective who spotted Danielle's body in the river was the same one who convinced Malloy to confess, Acciardo said.
According to the Facebook pages of Danielle and Malloy, the teens began dating in June 2013.
While the search for Danielle was ongoing, Malloy wrote "Got me crying" March 15 under a photo of Danielle posted by one of her friends.
He is one of the nearly 12,000 people who follow the Facebook page established by family members to keep people updated about the investigation.
According to the MaxPreps website for scholastic sports, Malloy is a soccer player at Cape Fear High School.
Tuesday afternoon, hours before the press conference was called, investigators met with Danielle's family for roughly two hours at the Hope Mills Police Department, Acciardo said. They were given the latest developments in the case, he said.
Acciardo, appearing somber, said Tuesday night that the case was a difficult situation for everybody involved.
"All I can say is that this is a tragic event - for the family of the victim for the families of the suspect," Acciardo said. "Everybody involved was young. Everybody involved had their whole lives ahead of them."
Staff writer Nathan Hardin can be reached at hardinn@fayobserver.com or 486-3509.
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LostNMissing Inc.
www.lostnmissing.com
LostNMissing Inc., is an all-volunteer national tax-exempt organization under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (the "code") and qualifies as a public supported organization under Sections, or Categories: P99 (Human Services - Multipurpose and Other N.E.C.); M99 (Other Public Safety, Disaster Preparedness, and Relief N.E.C.); I01 (Alliance/Advocacy Organizations). LostNMissing is organized and incorporated under the laws of the State of New Hampshire. We never charge a fee for our services.
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