Photo: Lyon County Sheriff’s
The man who allegedly kidnapped missing 18-year-oldNaomi Irionhas now been charged with murder after her body was found, according to Nevada authorities.
On Friday, Troy Driver was charged with the crime after Irion’s body was located earlier in the week, the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office said in astatement. The teen had previously been missing for weeks.
Alongside the murder charge, Driver, 41 — who had previously beencharged with kidnapping— now also faces charges of robbery, burglary, and destruction of evidence, per authorities.
Driver currently remains at the Lyon County Jail in Nevada, according to the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office statement. The investigation remains ongoing.
The search for Irion’s body came to an end on Tuesday after authoritiesfound her bodyin a “remote” area of Churchill County.
Naomi Irion.Lyon County Sheriff’s Office - Nevada/ facebook
The tip was then passed to the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office Forensic Investigative Services team, who responded to the scene to process. There, a female’s body was recovered and transported to the medical examiner’s office where it was confirmed to be remains of Irion.
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Irion was last seen in the parking lot of a Fernley Walmart at around 5 a.m. local time on March 12. She was on her way to work at the time — her routine involved catching a shuttle from the parking lot and riding it to her job at Panasonic.
Police said Irion was active on social media between 5:09 a.m. and 5:23 a.m. In a surveillance video, a man is seen approaching Irion’s car at 5:24 a.m., and a minute later, her car leaves the parking lot.
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Driver was previouslyarrestedin connection with Irion’s abduction. The Lyon County Sheriff’s Office held him on charges of kidnapping, and also noted that they impounded his truck.
Irion’s sister, Tamara Cartwright, has also spoken out, initially pleading with the public to come forward with any information.
“This is life or death for my sister. This is life or death for a beautiful and fun, amazing sister and daughter and friend,” she said ahead of her sister’s discovery.
The family had also launched aGoFundMe pagein hopes of raising money for search efforts. The fund has received over $40,000 donations.
source: people.com
