Three teens were discovered dead or ailing within a 5-mile radius of remote swampland north of Orlando, prompting police in Florida to search for a potential triple murder suspect.
Two 16-year-old girls and a 17-year-old boy were found dumped in a variety of places in Ocklawaha, a small town of 1,508 people. The case is being probed as a triple murder, which the Marion County Sheriff’s Office describes as a “isolated incident.”
Layla Silvernail, 16, was still alive when she was discovered shot in the head and abandoned in a skip near Forest Lakes Park on Thursday night, according to WCJB.
According to a GoFundMe website, her relatives said she was pronounced brain dead and has since been removed off life support.
A second victim, an unidentified 17-year-old male, was discovered shot dead and abandoned by the side of the road less than a mile away on Friday morning.
The third victim, a 16-year-old female, was discovered shot dead inside Silvernail’s vehicle, which was partly submerged in a lake, on Saturday.
Their identities have not been published because their families exercised their right under Marsy’s Law, which permits crime victims or their families to have their names withheld from public records, according to a Marion County Sheriff’s Office spokesman.
Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods said in a video message uploaded to Facebook that his team was looking into how the three was linked.
‘My Major Crimes Detectives are working around the clock to continue their murder probe and follow up on every potential clue,’ he said.
‘We are devastated for the families of these three teenagers, and we are dedicated to bringing whoever is responsible for these atrocious acts to justice.’
Woods also requested that anyone with knowledge come forward.
He warned against trusting rumors, adding that stories of a fourth fatality were false. He also stated that the notion of a serial killer is “far from the truth.”
‘I know this is a very close community and many of you are very concerned,’ he said.
‘Someone out there knows something. We want you to have truthful information and not rumors.’
The sheriff’s office did not offer any further details or information about a possible motive in order to protect the integrity of the investigation.
Silvernail was described by her friends and relatives as a talented softball player.
Silvernail’s family decided to donate her organs ‘so she can help others in the wake of this tragedy,’ the girl’s softball league wrote on the fundraising page.
‘She is the definition of a team player and an amazing athlete,’ they said.
‘She loved the game of softball, was a great pitcher and could play any position her team needed. She uplifted all of her teammates!
‘She has been taken from us too soon and will be greatly missed.’
