by NC WANTED Staff

Posted: Dec 2, 2008
Updated: Dec 2, 2008

Murder suspect Jason Young has failed to respond to a wrongful death lawsuit against him and may have sealed his fate in the civil case.

On October 29, 2008, Michelle Young's mother, Linda Fisher, filed the wrongful death lawsuit stating, "In the early morning hours of November 3, 2006, Jason Young brutally murdered Michelle Young at their residence [in Wake County]."

Jason Young was given 30 days to file a written answer to Fisher's lawsuit. 

The deadline has passed.

In a WRAL News report, one of Fisher's attorneys, Jack Michaels, said Jason Young's silence means that Young has essentially admitted to the claims against him.

The civil summons served on Jason Young states, "If you fail to answer the complaint, the plaintiff [Linda Fisher] will apply to the court for the relief demanded in the complaint."

The relief in the suit seeks:

* Compensation for the "horror, pain and suffering of Michelle Young caused by Defendant's [Jason Young's] fatal assault."

* A judgment that "Jason Young willfully and unlawfully killed Michelle Young or was an accessory before the fact of her murder."

* A court order that designates Cassidy Young, the couple's 4-year-old daughter, as the sole heir to Michelle Young's estate, including the payout from any life insurance policies, according to Fisher's attorneys.

At this time, it is unclear whether Jason Young has hired any legal representation in this wrongful death lawsuit.  In 2006, Roger Smith, Jr. had been listed as Jason Young's attorney when Young was forced to comply with a court order that named Jason Young a suspect in the death of his wife, Michelle Young.

It is also unclear what impact Jason Young's failure to respond will have on the criminal case.  In many cases, a murder trial would precede the outcome of a wrongful death case.

Jason Young's silence is consistent with what investigators have described as Young's ongoing lack of cooperation in the investigation of his wife's murder.

On November 3, 2006, the body of Michelle Marie Fisher Young was found bludgeoned inside her bedroom in the couple's Wake County home. 

Court records have revealed the discovery of DNA and shoe prints linking Jason Young to the murder scene.

For over two years, investigators have wanted Jason Young to provide details about his wife's daily habits and routines, but they say he has refused to speak with them to provide any information that would be helpful to the case. 

Investigators have also wanted Jason Young to explain his whereabouts the night of his wife's murder.

NC WANTED is following this case and will post the latest details as they become available.

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.