A Florida girl who had been reported as a runaway was discovered shot and burned in a wooded area this week — and now two teenage boys are facing murder charges in what authorities describe as a horrific killing.
The boys, ages 16 and 14, were arrested on Thursday, Dec. 4, and charged with first-degree premeditated murder in the death of 14-year-old Danika Jade Troy, Santa Rosa County Sheriff Bob Johnson said at a Thursday press conference.
Authorities have not released the names of the suspects because they are minors, though investigators say they intend to pursue charges against them as adults.
On Monday, Dec. 1, Troy’s mother reported her missing from Pace, a community about 20 miles east of the Alabama border, Johnson said.
“But unbeknownst to the mother, unfortunately, Danika was murdered the previous night,” he explained.
Investigators say Troy, who had her electric scooter with her, was allegedly lured into a wooded area by the two boys, according to police and KOMO News.
“This is where it gets really horrific,” Johnson told reporters.
He alleged that the 16-year-old stole his mother’s handgun and used it to shoot Troy.
“It’s bad enough you kill a 14-year-old,” Johnson said. “You’re 14. You’re 16. They shot her multiple times, then they set her on fire.”
Detectives are still working to determine the motive and why the teens allegedly targeted Troy, though they said the three were “supposedly” friends from school.
A passerby discovered the girl’s body on Tuesday, Dec. 2, and called 911 after finding her shot and burned in the wooded area.
Johnson said investigators quickly focused on the two teenage suspects.
“Major crimes calls that a ground ball,” he said. “The evidence pointed to them immediately,” he alleged.
A GoFundMe to help the Troy family cover funeral expenses has raised more than $5,500 as of Friday morning. “This is a hard time for the family and anything will help,” the organizer wrote.
Both boys are being held by the Department of Juvenile Justice. It is not yet clear whether they have retained attorneys to speak on their behalf.
