Savannah Childress, 14, was reported missing from her home in southern Davidson County on February 11. During the investigation, it was discovered that she was using her school’s computer to talk to someone online.
The investigation found that the same person was talking to several other young girls in Alamance County.
A man identified as William Robert Ice, of Mercer County, Pennsylvania, took Savannah from her Denton home, according to the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office.
The Davidson County Sheriff’s Office has been issued a warrant for first-degree kidnapping and computer solicitation for a child.
With the help of the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, the FBI, the US Secret Service, the US Marshals Service, and the Pennsylvania State Police, evidence indicated that Ice was near a McDonalds in Lonoke County, Arkansas, near the I-40.
According to Arkansas state police, two officers recognized a Dodge matching the case in a McDonald’s parking lot around 8 p.m. Saturday. The officers approached and found two people inside.
The driver, later identified as Ice, 38, complied first, but then pointed a gun at officers and began firing, according to Arkansas state police. One officer was seriously injured. The second officer fired back when Ice got back into the car and fled.
An Arkansas state agent in the area overheard the officer’s report down and chased Ice’s car through Lonoke along Arkansas Highway 31 until the Dodge was disabled in a snowdrift. The 14-year-old fled the car and was secured by a trooper. Ice was found inside the SUV with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Ice later died in a Little Rock hospital.
It was discovered that Ice was wanted by the Pennsylvania police in connection with other cases of child predators.
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Arkansas State Police Special Agents are preparing a file that will be turned over to the Lonoke County Prosecutor, who will decide whether a law enforcement officer ‘s use of deadly force is consistent with Arkansas laws.
Savannah later returned to her home in North Carolina on Sunday.
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