Family of teen murder suspect speaks for the first time
FAYETTEVILLE (WTVD) -- The family of a Cumberland County teen charged with murdering his girlfriend is speaking out for the first time.
Willie Malloy met with Danielle Locklear's family Tuesday morning following a regularly scheduled hearing at the Cumberland County courthouse. Malloy is Je'Michael Malloy's father. The now-18 year-old confessed to murdering 15-year-old Danielle Locklear nearly a year ago. He said he and his friend, 18-year-old Dominic Lock, disposed of the girl's body in the South River. Malloy and Lock both face second-degree murder charges, as the district attorney's office works toward a trial or plea deal hearing.
"I've been knowing the [victim's] family a long time. I'm sorry," said Willie Malloy. "Ain't nothing I can say, but I'm just sorry. I'm sorry about all of this. Ain't nothing I can do. I just wish it never would have happened."
Malloy said his son was a "good kid," and strong athlete. He also spoke of his son's ambitions to join the Marines and become a sniper. He was set to join the service last June. Instead, he confessed to killing Locklear in March.
"Je'Michael was a good fellow, but I don't know what went wrong," said Willie Malloy. "To me I feel like he had somebody influence him in all this."
Soon after Malloy was arrested, his attorney told ABC11 that when the full story came out, the incident would be more understandable. (Read more here.)
Malloy has spoken to his son periodically over the phone, but says the younger Malloy doesn't comment on the case.
"He don't tell me nothing. When we get off the phone he'll say 'I love you.' I'll say 'I love you' back."
The father said he still can't wrap his head around all of it.
"Cause I raised him better than that," said Malloy. "Like I told him, you know better. You know this ain't right."
Meanwhile, Locklear's family said they appreciated Malloy's gesture and share mutual thoughts on the case.
"It was comforting in a way that we all feel that Je'Michael and this other young man were not the only ones involved," said Chena Simmons, Locklear's great-aunt. "And he had the same opinions, the same feel. So in that way yes [it was comforting]."
Simmons said the family hopes to see this case through a trial.
"Coming up in another month will be the one year anniversary," said Simmons. "And we've been coming out here to every court date and no trial has been set yet, but we're waiting and we're looking and we're anticipating that and we're hoping that the DA's office is doing due diligence to get this thing taken care of because we want justice served. "
