Investigators in Florida accused two teenagers of orchestrating a deadly plot that ended with the shooting death of a 14-year-old girl whose body was later found burned in a wooded area.
Santa Rosa County officials say the killing of Danika Troy unfolded during the final days of November, when she was last seen by her mother on November 30.
According to Santa Rosa County Sheriff Bob Johnson, the teenager was listed as a runaway at around 7 a.m. the next morning, though investigators later determined she had already been killed the day prior.
Johnson told reporters, “Unbeknownst to the mother, Troy was murdered the previous night,” noting that the early details made clear the case would take a disturbingly grim turn.
The discovery of the girl’s body came on December 2, when a passerby walking through a rural wooded area spotted what appeared to be human remains.
Deputies later confirmed that the corpse, which had signs of both gunfire and burning, belonged to the missing teen.
Investigators say they recovered live ammunition and physical evidence of a fire near the scene, clues that helped guide them toward the young suspects.
Authorities identified the accused as 16-years-old Gabriel Williams and 14-years-old Kimahri Blevins, both residents of Pace.
The two boys, who reportedly attended the same school as Troy, were arrested and charged with first-degree premeditated murder.
Detectives allege that the three teenagers had been at odds following what they described as online tensions that formed over Thanksgiving break.
Law & Crime reported that the dispute may have stemmed from Troy blocking Blevins on social media and calling Williams “worthless and a gang-banger.”
Investigators say that remark became part of the narrative the suspects provided, though Johnson told reporters that the explanation does not align with evidence recovered so far.
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“The motive that we’re getting doesn’t fit the forensics or any facts of the case,” he said during a press briefing.
Authorities also learned of a witness who claimed the teens had discussed the killing in advance.
According to that account, the suspects originally planned to fire a single shot.
Instead, investigators believe Williams escalated the violence significantly, allegedly using a handgun he took from his mother before multiple shots were fired.
Johnson detailed the brutality of the attack during the press conference, stating, “This is where it gets really horrific,” before adding, “It’s bad enough you kill a 14-year-old. You’re 14. You’re 16. Shoot her multiple times, and then they set her on fire.”
Police said the fire appeared to have been started immediately after the shooting.
Additional insight surfaced following an interview conducted by the New York Post with the victim’s mother, Ashley Troy.
She told the outlet that Williams “pretended to have feelings for her,” a gesture that she believes contributed to Danika’s willingness to follow him into the wooded area. “That’s how she was lured,” she said.
The grieving mother added that she is still searching for a motive for her daughter’s death, telling the Post, “I still need answers. I’m just left asking why,” adding that Danika “just wanted to be in love.”
Ashley firmly rejected the narrative that the violence stemmed solely from social media conflict, saying, “What those boys said is an excuse.”
Williams and Blevins are being held without bond at the Santa Rosa Juvenile Detention Center.
Johnson stated he would like the suspects charged as adults, declaring, “If you do an adult crime, you gotta do adult time.”
While Florida authorities processed the details of Troy’s killing, investigators in Jacksonville were dealing with another deadly incident involving multiple teens.
According to the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, three boys aged 13, 16 and 19 were charged with murder following the death of 64-year-old Long Island native Roger Borkum.
Borkum, who once worked on the 77th floor of Tower 1 at the World Trade Center and was described in his obituary as having narrowly escaped the 9/11 attack, died after a violent beating.
Responding to an aggravated battery call on October 19, deputies found Borkum injured near a doorway within a recessed building entrance. He was transported to the hospital but died four days later.
Officials said surveillance footage, witness accounts and investigative work led detectives to identify the suspects as Justin Curry, who was 12 at the time of the assault, along with Robert Pope and Marcavion Lacey.
“All three teens are charged with murder,” the sheriff’s office stated. Authorities also noted the boys were involved in a robbery shortly after the attack.
In the United Kingdom, two 17-years-old asylum seekers from Afghanistan were sentenced after admitting to raping a 15-years-old girl in a Warwickshire park in May.
Police said the victim had been with friends in Leamington when she encountered the teenagers, identified by authorities as Jan Jahanzeb and Israr Niazal.
Investigators say the girl agreed to walk with them before they led her to a park area known as Newbold Comyn, where the assault took place.
After the attack, she managed to wave down a passerby who contacted police.
Officers used CCTV footage and photographs the girl had taken earlier in the day to identify the suspects. The teenagers later pleaded guilty in youth court.
Jahanzeb received 10 years and eight months, while Niazal was sentenced to nine years and 10 months.
Both were ordered to register as sex offenders for life and were handed indefinite restraining orders.
