Autopsy May Hold Answers to Michelle Young's Death

Autopsy results are in for Michelle Young, a 29-year-old wife and mother who was found beaten to death in her Wake County home on November 3. Her 2-year-old daughter remained unharmed by her side. Michelle was also five months pregnant.

She was found by Meredith Fisher, her sister, who had stopped by the house at 5108 Birchleaf Drive in the Enchanted Oaks subdivision. In a 911 tape recording, Fisher told the emergency dispatcher that Young's 2-year-old daughter was in the house when she found bloody and cold Young lying face down in her bedroom. Young was supposed to have been at work at the time. The house was torn apart and the dog was frantic. There were tiny, bloody footprints all over the house left by the toddler. The little girl could be heard on the tape asking what happened to her mom.

A dispatcher tried to coach Fisher through attempts to revive Young but stopped when Fisher told her that her sister's body was cold and stiff.

According to the autopsy report, released today, January 22, Young revealed that she had been beaten numerous times and suffered a fractured skull. The autopsy report proves that she died from blunt force trauma to the head after being hit at least 10 times. However, it also shows that Young had manual strangulation injuries to her neck, meaning her killer tried to strangle her before beating her to death. Furthermore, many of Young's teeth had been knocked out in the attack and her jaw was broken. She also had bruises on both hands and a cut on her left thumb.

A hair was found in Michelle's hand by the autopsy crew, but that can only lead police to believe there was a struggle. Police investigated her un-cooperating husband, Jason Young, but they are unsure if he should be a suspect. Jason had a "relationship" with another woman in Florida for several months before his wife's mysterious death. The family also had financial problems. To top it off, Michelle Young had a large life insurance policy.

Jason Young told police that he had been on a business trip out of town on the days before his wife's death. On the day of the killing, Jason says he was visiting his mother before returning to his wife and child. Currently, he and his daughter are living in western North Carolina closer to his family.