By NC WANTED Staff

Posted: Nov. 3, 2009
Updated: Nov. 3, 2009

Today marks the 3rd anniversary of the brutal murder of pregnant mother Michelle Young in her Wake County home. The crime happened November 3, 2006 and quickly became a hot topic for cable news media. The case also made the cover of People Magazine.

Young, a senior financial consultant for Progress Energy, was found dead inside her south Raleigh home. Five-months pregnant, the 29-year-old was laying facedown on her stomach in her bedroom. Her 2-year-old daughter, Cassidy, was unharmed at her side.

The case remains unsolved, although Jason Young was ruled responsible for Michelle's death in a wrongful death suit filed by Michelle's mother, Linda Fisher. Jason has since lost custody of Cassidy Young, now 4.

And although he has been famously uncooperative with investigators regarding his wife's murder, Jason Young has not been charged criminally.

According to an autopsy report, Young died from blunt force trauma to the head after being hit at least 10 times. Several of her teeth were knocked out, her jaw was broken, and she had bruises on both hands. She also had injuries to her neck that showed her killer also tried to strangle her.

Jason Young was named a suspect in his wife's death on November 7, 2006 in a non-testimonial identification order signed by Judge Donald Stephens of Wake County, but he has not been formally charged.

According to the warrant, Jason's friends and coworkers told investigators in the days after Michelle's murder that the couple's relationship was strained, that Jason frequently complained about their sex life, and that Jason was a flirt, occasionally making one of his former coworkers uncomfortable with comments of a sexual nature.

Another coworker told investigators that after she heard of Michelle's death, she had a feeling Jason may have been involved.

On November 3, 2006, Meredith Fisher, Michelle's sister, received a call from Jason Young asking her to pick up some computer printouts from the Youngs' home that showed a Coach purse he was planning to give Michelle as a surprise. When Meredith arrived, she found Michelle's bludgeoned body face down in the master bedroom. Cassidy, who was 2 at the time, was also in the master bedroom unharmed.

The affidavit points out the significance of a sleep-inducing drug found in Cassidy's room that Jason sold as a pharmaceutical representative for Pamlab, even though the medication, Pancof-PD, is not recommended for young children. A bottle of Pancof-PD and Tylenol Extra Strength cold medicine were found in Cassidy's room, the warrant states.

Jason told investigators that he was out of town on business in Virginia the night Michelle was murdered. Warrants unsealed in August revealed that although Jason did indeed check into a hotel in Hillsville, Virginia the night of November 2, 2006, his keycard was only used to access his room on one occasion, six minutes after he checked into the hotel. Surveillance images, however, show Jason Young leaving the hotel later that night.

The clothes Jason was wearing when he left the hotel that night have not been recovered.

On November 3, Jason headed to his mother's home in Brevard. According to cell phone records, Jason spoke with his mother, Pat Young, 28 times before 1:30 p.m., which is the approximate time Meredith found Michelle's body. In comparison with Jason's typical communication by cell phone with his mother in the month prior to November 3, 28 calls was considered by investigators to be unusual.

Although cell phone records also indicate it was unusual for Linda Fisher, Michelle's mother, to call Jason's cell phone, he ignored four of her phone calls on the morning of November 3, although he did take calls from Michelle Money, Michelle's sorority sister who has admitted having an affair with Jason.

"A call from Linda Fisher would be unusual … Jason Young has a pregnant wife at home, and he has called her twice without reaching her (at work)," the warrant states.

Investigators have evidence that Jason and MIchelle Money lremained in contact through January 2008, including hundreds of phone calls and emails, and one face-to-face meeting in Myrtle Beach, SC, in the summer of 2007. In August, NC WANTED reported that Jason used photos of he and Cassidy to attract dates on craigslist.org.

According to the latest search warrant, in email correspondences with other women, Jason has denied ever being married.

The Wake County Sheriff's Office maintains that Jason Young has not been cooperative in the investigation, hanging up on investigators who placed the initial call to Jason after MIchelle's body was found. They state in the warrant that not only did Jason say he would not speak to authorities without securing legal counsel, he did not ask about the wellbeing of Cassidy, nor did he inquire as to how Michelle was murdered.

In emails to his sister, Kim Young, the warrant states, Jason praises his attorney, Roger W. Smith in Raleigh.

"His ONLY concern is for me and that hopefully there will NEVER be an arrest," Jason wrote. Later, he added, "I hired a good attorney... and I haven't been arrested even though it's been obvious that the focus has been on me."

The latest warrant was issued November 6, 2008, to search Jason's former work computer after an initial search of his home computer in 2006 uncovered that Jason had conducted Internet searches for the following terms prior to Michelle's murder: "head trauma knockout," "the anatomy of a knockout," "right posterior parietal occipital region" (back of the head), and "divorce."

In February, NC WANTED confirmed that the Wake County Sheriff's Office along with the SBI served search warrants at the homes of Jason Young's mother, Pat Young, in Brevard, and also his sister, Heather McCracken, in Etowah. Investigators also searched a storage unit used by Jason Young in Etowah.

Those warrants were unsealed in August, revealing new details about the investigation.

DNA found on the wall in the couple's bedroom "matched the DNA profile obtained from the bloodstain of Jason Young," the warrant stated.

According to the warrants, two bloody footprints were also found on a pillow at the scene. One footprint impression was made by a HushPuppies brand shoe. DSW Shoe Warehouse records indicate that Jason Young purchased HushPuppies brand shoes that match the footwear impression on July 4, 2005.

The other footwear impression matched footprints in the wood stain used on the couple's backyard deck.

According to a New York Times delivery person whose route includes the Young’s neighborhood, near lake Wheeler in Raleigh, all of the indoor and outdoor lights were on at the Young home between 4 and 5 a.m. November 3, 2006, the day Michelle was found dead.

The newspaper delivery person also told investigators that he/she saw a light-colored SUV parked near the home in such a way that it looked as if someone was loading or unloading something. Jason Young was driving a white Ford Explorer at the time.

The entire Young family has been tight-lipped about Michelle’s murder and Jason’s status as a suspect. And although the case garnered national media attention, no arrests have been made.

Soon after the murder in Raleigh, Jason Young packed up and moved to the mountains to live with his sister, Heather McCracken, and has avoided answering questions from authorities.

Heather McCracken's home and property were searched on February 13, 2008.

Jason Young's mother, Pat Young, told NC WANTED, "He is doing what he's been told to do, and that is all you need to know."
Pat Young’s Brevard home was also searched.

If you have any information about the murder of Michelle Young, call NC WANTED toll free at 1.866.43.WANTED (1.866.439.2683) or click on "Report a Tip" Your identity can be kept confidential.