Found Deceased NC - Hania Noelia Aguilar, 13, abducted and murdered, Lumberton, 5 Nov 2018 #4 *Arrest*

[PommyMommy]

Just saw this -- Perhaps Hania's legacy will be the starting and completion of this effort in hopes of preventing more tragedies:

NC has more than 10,000 untested rape kits. A new plan aims to erase the backlog.

Raleigh

N.C. Attorney General Josh Stein announced a $10 million plan Tuesday to eliminate the backlog of more than 10,000 untested rape kits statewide, hoping to close decades of unsolved sexual assault cases.
[...]
In December, the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office announced it had failed to act on a CODIS hit linking Michael Ray McLellan to a 2016 rape, a crime committed one year before McLellan was charged with the rape and murder of 13-year-old Hania Aguilar in Lumberton.


Johnson Britt, then district attorney in Robeson, said in December, “Had it been followed up on, (Hania) might be alive.”

Read more here: NC has more than 10,000 untested rape kits. A new plan aims to erase the backlog.

:cow:

All posts, unless attributed, are "just my humble opinion," and they are to remain here in Websleuths and are not to be used elsewhere. Thank you.

I couldn't view the articles without paying for a subscription but found this one from Jan 29:

Attorney General Josh Stein Addresses Rape Kit Backlog Tuesday
Since McLellan’s arrest, an investigation has been launched into the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office and many investigators have been fired or have resigned.

A bill, called the Survivor Act, has already been drafted that will be going to the legislature Wednesday, when lawmakers get back to work.

The bill makes submitting sexual assault kits for testing to automatically go to an accredited lab for local law.

Those at the press conference believe there's a good chance of it passing.

 

[borndem]

Thanks for posting that, Pommy!

 

[sloothseeker]

Latest on the case -
Autopsy: Hania Aguilar's cause of death undetermined, likely asphyxia
Autopsy: Hania Aguilar's cause of death undetermined, likely asphyxia

 

[sloothseeker]

A few more details at this source - Hania Aguilar autopsy: Teen's naked body found in water, under plastic table :: WRAL.com

 

[Seattle1]

Autopsy: Asphyxia was likely cause of Hania Aguilar's death

Feb 13, 2019

LUMBERTON — A kidnapped 13-year-old North Carolina likely died of suffocation or strangulation, but her cause of death couldn’t be determined conclusively.

The state’s Office of the Chief Medical examiner ruled that Hania Aguilar died of undetermined “homicidal violence.” The autopsy released Wednesday says she most likely died of some form of asphyxia because other causes of death were ruled out.

The autopsy notes her decomposing body was found late last November in a body of water. The autopsy also found signs of sexual violence.

 

[Seattle1]

Fox 8

Hania Aguilar died of ‘homicidal violence of undetermined means,’ autopsy reports

 

[Seattle1]

WRAL

Hania Aguilar autopsy: Teen's naked body found in water, under plastic table :: WRAL.com

 

[Seattle1]

WFMY News 2

Hania Aguilar Cause of Death Undetermined, But Likely Suffocation or Strangulation, Autopsy Reveals

 

[Seattle1]

Hania Aguilar was found under a plastic folding table in a muddy pit, autopsy report says

Feb 13, 2019

A black hair tie on her left wrist was all 13-year-old Hania Noelia Aguilar had when authorities found her naked body partially submerged in a muddy pit in late November in Robeson County.

An autopsy report released Wednesday from the N.C. Office of the Chief Medical Examiner stated the girl likely died from asphyxia or suffocation, and her cause of death is listed as "homicidal violence of undetermined means."

Because of decomposition, a "specific mechanism of death" could not be determined.


"Numerous twig and leaves are on the body, especially tangled in the hair" the report states.

Michael Ray McLellan, 34, of Robeson County, is charged in Aguilar's death. Charges are first-degree murder, first-degree forcible rape and statutory rape of a person 15 or younger, first-degree sex offense and statutory sex offense with a person 15 or younger, first-degree kidnapping, larceny, restraint, abduction of a child and concealment of a death.

 

[Shin Masamura]

Hania Aguilar was found under a plastic folding table in a muddy pit, autopsy report says

Feb 13, 2019

A black hair tie on her left wrist was all 13-year-old Hania Noelia Aguilar had when authorities found her naked body partially submerged in a muddy pit in late November in Robeson County.

An autopsy report released Wednesday from the N.C. Office of the Chief Medical Examiner stated the girl likely died from asphyxia or suffocation, and her cause of death is listed as "homicidal violence of undetermined means."

Because of decomposition, a "specific mechanism of death" could not be determined.


"Numerous twig and leaves are on the body, especially tangled in the hair" the report states.

Michael Ray McLellan, 34, of Robeson County, is charged in Aguilar's death. Charges are first-degree murder, first-degree forcible rape and statutory rape of a person 15 or younger, first-degree sex offense and statutory sex offense with a person 15 or younger, first-degree kidnapping, larceny, restraint, abduction of a child and concealment of a death.

Read the report this morning, dampened my day as the worst of our fears that morning as it was active came true. There is not a punishment on the books harsh enough for this REPEAT offender..

 

[PommyMommy]

Autopsy: Asphyxia likely cause of Hania Aguilar's death
"... Her body was found in Robeson County in a water-filled pit approximately 4 1/2 feet deep," the autopsy states. "She was reported to be face down unclad with a plastic folding table on her back."

Autopsy of 13 year old Hania Aguilar released
The North Carolina Office of the Chief Medical Examiner released the results of the autopsy Wednesday, which lists Hania's cause of death as homicidal violence of undetermined means. It says her unclad, mildly-decomposed body was found "partially submerged in a muddy pit under plastic folding table."

 

[Blondie in Spokane]

Absolutely sickening.

 

[lonetraveler]

I truly hope he gets the death sentence.

 

[not.a.muggle]

What a sick individual. It must be horrifying for her family to know those details.

 

[beatrixpotter]

I truly hope he gets the death sentence.

I certainly feel like tax dollars would be better spent if they weren't spent supporting murderers in jail for the rest of their natural lives.

 

[SandyQLS]

Autopsy: Asphyxia was likely cause of kidnapped girl's death

- most likely died from suffocation or strangulation
- was found unclothed and face down in a pit, under a plastic table that was weighed down by a tire.
- The autopsy found evidence of sexual assault.

I hope he gets the worst lawyer possible. He certainly went to a lot of trouble to hide the evil that he did - 4 1/2 foot water-filled pit, covered by the plastic table and weighted down with a tire on top. He won't be able to claim the standard excuses because of his efforts to conceal Hania - he knew what he did is wrong, he planned, he concealed her body, etc.

 

[yrmfp]

A lot of case details here.
UNSEALED: New court documents give insight into Hania Aguilar case

 

[Gardener1850]

A lot of case details here.
UNSEALED: New court documents give insight into Hania Aguilar case

Some of the article:

Over the course of the investigation, law enforcement took every opportunity to release video footage from the area and ask people if they recognized the grainy figure caught walking in the area around the time of the abduction. A female called investigators and said a “Michael Ray” might have something to do with the kidnapping after she watched the video.

The female caller didn’t know “Michael Ray’s” last name but did know he had recently been released from prison. She believed he was behind bars for beating an employee and stealing a car from Rock Star Auto Sales a couple of years ago. Later that evening, investigators had determined the full name of the man the caller insisted was in the FBI’s surveillance footage.

Documents also note conversations law enforcement had with people that knew McLellan and talked to him before the kidnapping about crimes McLellan said he wanted commit. One witness described in the documents said McLellan told them he was planning “a lick” and had 3 potential targets. According to the document, "a lick" is slang for committing a robbery. Target one was a mobile home park off NC 41 and Resa Loop Drive. Target two would have been in Pembroke. Target three was described as the mobile home park by the Kia dealership, which investigators allege was referring to the Rosewood Mobile Home Park.

“McLellan stated all the Hispanics live there and they have money and drugs. McLellan added that he had to be careful because there were cameras within this park,” the document stated.

Other people detectives interviewed mentioned when McLellan commits crimes, he likes to wear a yellow bandana to cover his face. The witnesses also said McLellan wears the yellow bandana so people “wouldn’t know he was black” and they would think he was a Latin King gang member.

UNSEALED: New court documents give insight into Hania Aguilar case

BBM @margarita25 wanted to make sure you saw the bolded. IIRC, you were one of the posters saying the yellow bandana stood for Latin Kings in the area. You were right! (Except he used it to throw people off since he is not Latino nor in the gang). I'm surprised we learned this-- I didn't expect to get an answer on why the yellow bandana was used.

MOO.

 

[sloothseeker]

Alot of our speculations confirmed in article.
Hundreds of unsealed documents shed light on Hania Aguilar kidnapping, murder :: WRAL.com

Perhaps why such focus on the tennis shoes if not found in car . ..."documents show that investigators found the shirt, pants and undergarments Hania was believed to be wearing at the time of her disappearance in the vehicle. Documents also show that McLellan’s DNA was found on that clothing."

 

[PommyMommy]

A lot of case details here.
UNSEALED: New court documents give insight into Hania Aguilar case

Very informative, ytmfp, thank you.

From the article:

Hania’s cousin reportedly witnessed a male wearing a yellow bandana push the 13-year-old inside a Green Ford SUV and speed out of the Rosewood Mobile home park the morning the kidnapping was reported. Lumberton police say the kidnapping occurred around 6:58 a.m. Probable cause affidavits filed by the District Attorney’s Office note Hania’s cousin was not the only person who reported unusual behavior early that morning in the mobile home park.

Investigators also talked to a person who said they walk the entrance to the park each morning to catch a ride. In the documents obtained by News13, the female said a black male wearing a dark hoodie walked into the mobile home park at 6:15a.m. Upon seeing the male, she told officials she became uncomfortable and she pretended to take a phone call on her cell, at which time the man walked away.

The affidavits also say two more witnesses who live in the park say they saw a person on their porch that morning, possibly trying to break in. When they looked out their window, they saw a black male wearing a mask who then jumped off the porch. Twelve minutes after the witnesses reportedly saw the male on their porch, the 911 call about Hania’s abduction was made.

Another group of witnesses who were familiar with McLellan say he showed up to Deerfield Mobile Home Park the day of the kidnapping wearing all black clothing and a yellow bandana. The witnesses also added that McLellan was all wet. The documents state he had a cup of change in what appeared to be a kids “superhero” cup and he was trying to sell two video monitors. The affidavits say that last time the witnesses saw McLellan, he told them he had no money.

The owner of the stolen Ford SUV initially reported she had a bunch of loose change in the car when it was taken, the affidavit from the DA’s office said.