Family, media push for information after 5-year-old girl reportedly raped and murdered

A North Carolina family is looking for answers from authorities weeks after a young girl was reportedly raped and murdered.

One local news outlet attempted to intervene on the family’s behalf by requesting the search warrant issued after 5-year-old Paitin Fields’ November 15 death.

She was reportedly strangled and raped before she was admitted to an area hospital in critical condition. Police were called to the scene after her arrival and she died a couple of days later.

According to WWAY, its request was quickly met by a judge’s decision to seal the search warrant.

A Pender County Sheriff’s Office source reportedly revealed that a detective asked that the search warrant not be made public out of concern for the integrity of the investigation.

Shortly before filing a request with the court, WWAY spoke to members of Fields’ family who expressed their frustration over the lack of information available at this stage in the investigation.

“We can’t even sleep at night knowing that this is just revolving around like nobody cares,” said the victim’s cousin, Cassady Fields. “She is relying on us to have some kind of answers for her, we just need some kind of answers.”

Paitin Fields’ father, Robert, shared a similar sentiment regarding local investigators.

“If they don’t want to do it right then somebody else needs to take the case over and do it right,” he said.

As of Wednesday, family members said the only update they have received is that DNA evidence is still being analyzed.

Following those interviews, WWAY reported that its staff reached out to prosecutors and law enforcement but received no response.

[Featured image: Pixabay]