Police say 17-year-old Je'Michael Malloy is charged with second-degree murder.
Investigators said Malloy and Locklear got into an argument on March 11, which is the night she was last seen leaving her grandfather's home in the Fox Meadow subdivision in Hope Mills.
They said the conversation turned violent and Malloy choked Locklear to death and stuffed a sock in her mouth.
Malloy and a friend, 18-year-old Dominic Lock, then allegedly tossed her body over a bridge on the Cumberland/Sampson County line. Locklear's body was found with cinder blocks tied to her body.
Right now, the body, which was found April 3 by an off-duty deputy, has not been positively identified. However, based on conversations, and Malloy's confession, police said they know it's her.
Police would not go into details, but a source told ABC11 that Locklear and Malloy went to a popular hang-out along a creek where she was killed.
Authorities said Lock will be charged with conspiracy in Locklear's death because he helped Malloy dispose of Locklear's body.
There's no word yet on any bond for the two teens. Malloy has a first court appearance Wednesday.
Late last week, investigators executed search warrants on two homes, including Malloy's home, gathering evidence and conducting several interviews.
Police said they received more than 500 tips and leads from the public over the course of the investigation.
In the weeks following Locklear's disappearance, search parties were organized, missing persons billboards went up across the area, and several agencies joined the investigation, including the FBI.
