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A 17-year-old is accused of shooting her church-going mother and stepfather in their Georgia residence, with the tragic scene being first discovered by her younger sister.
Sarah Grace Patrick surrendered to authorities at the Carroll County jail on Tuesday for the charges related to the Feb. 20 murders of Kristen Brock, 41, and James Brock, 45, as per a report from WSB-TV.
Their bodies were found in bed at their Tyus home by their 5-year-old daughter, and investigators revealed that the alleged 17-year-old perpetrator was the one who placed the 911 call.
âFrom the very moment the 911 call was received, a relentless investigation began,â Carroll County Sheriffâs Office spokeswoman Ashley Hulsey said during a press conference Tuesday.
At the murder scene, investigators immediately noticed there were no signs of forced entry into the home — although one door of the house was left slightly ajar — and nothing had been taken.
âOur team has sifted through mountains of physical and digital evidence and collaborated with the FBI and GBI crime lab,â Hulsey said
Hulsey also said another key piece of evidence they used to charge the teen was her tearful speech at her motherâs funeral, which investigators believe was a ploy to help cover her tracks.
Authorities said it took months to charge the teen because investigators wanted to ensure they got the right person, who they believe orchestrated the âhorrific crime.â
Patrick — who will be tried as an adult — has been charged with two counts of murder and two counts of aggravated assault.
Investigators are still working to discover a motive for the killings.
âWe donât know what goes through the mind of a child who wants to harm their parents,â Hulsey said.
âSheâs 17. Sheâs kind of been out on her own. Sheâs lived with different family members and moved all over the place.â
Even though Patrick has been charged, Hulsey said investigators arenât ruling anything out in this case, and are pursuing the possibility that more arrests will be made.
âAny information, no matter how small it may seem, could be just that key that cracks this case wide open,â she said.
Hulsey said the tragedy of the murder is the trauma the coupleâs 5-year-old daughter will face finding their bodies.
âA little girl who was in the home, to me, she is probably the saddest victim in all of this,â she said.
The couple were active members of the Catalyst Church, with parishioners telling Fox 5 Atlanta that they are remembered for their kind-hearted and generous loving nature.
âKristen was bubbly and fun and she loved hugs. She never met a stranger. And James, he was a comical kind of guy. He would always crack jokes and always say something to make you laugh,â Tasha Meza said.
â[Kristin] always encouraged you. She was definitely the friend that you would want to have around,â another member of the church, Janelle Thompson, told the outlet.
Before the 17-year-oldâs arrest, members pleaded for the killer to turn themselves in.
âI just wish they would turn themselves in,â Jonan Daniel said in February. âWe all make mistakes, but this family doesnât need to suffer more.â
The couple is survived by their seven children, whom they had together in their combined family.
If Patrick is convicted, she faces life in prison without the possibility of parole.