Two Florida teens have been arrested on murder charges in connection with the death of a 14-year-old girl.
Investigators found Danika Troy, 14, dead in the community of Pace, not far from the Alabama border, on Tuesday after a passerby reported her body to police, according to the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office. Troy’s family last saw her on Sunday, and she was reported missing on Monday.
Now, authorities say that 14-year-old Kimahri Blevins and 16-year-old Gabriel Williams are responsible for her murder. The teens were arrested on first-degree premeditated murder charges and are being held by the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice, according to the sheriff’s office.
Sheriff Bob Johnson alleged the teens shot Troy “multiple times” before setting her on fire. Investigators believe the weapon used in the brutal murder was stolen by Williams from his own mother.
“There’s not a clear motive, but I can tell you this: we’re going to be hopefully working with the State Attorney’s office to get these individuals charged as adults,” Johnson said Thursday at a press conference. “You do an adult crime, you need to do adult time. So that’s going to be the next effort we’re putting forth.”
The Independent has contacted the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice for comment. Attorneys for Blevins and Williams could not be identified for comment.
Investigators believe Blevins and Williams lured Troy into the woods and planned to murder her, the Pensacola News Journal reports.
A cooperating witness said that Blevins told him the “initial plan was to shoot Danika once, but Gabriel continued to shoot,” according to a police report obtained by the Pensacola News Journal. Blevins then reportedly told the witness they “burned Danika’s body and left the area.”
Blevins told investigators he last talked to Troy during Thanksgiving break. They “had a falling out and he blocked her on social media,” and Blevins said he hadn’t seen or talked to her since, according to police documents.
Williams also reportedly told police that “Danika has made hurtful comments to Gabriel about being worthless and a gang-banger, which upset him.”
