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Seth Pickering, 36, Charged with First Degree Murder
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – A federal grand jury sitting in Asheville has returned a criminal indictment against Seth Pickering, charging him with one count of first degree murder for allegedly killing his daughter, Lila Pickering.
According to the indictment, Pickering, 36, of Leicester, N.C. allegedly killed Lila Pickering willfully, deliberately, maliciously and with premeditation, and in the perpetration of child abuse, that being knowingly and intentionally causing death and bodily injury to a child.
U.S. Attorney Jill Westmoreland Rose announced the indictment, which was joined by John A. Strong, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division; Neal D. Labrie, Chief Ranger of the Blue Ridge Parkway; and Sheriff Van Duncan of the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office.
The indictment was brought after Pickering was arrested on state charges on September 9, 2016 for Lila Pickering’s murder. A criminal complaint was filed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office on September 13, 2016, bringing federal charges against Pickering in connection with Lila Pickering’s death.
Pickering is currently in federal custody and is scheduled to appear in federal court. The penalty for first-degree murder is life in prison or death, and the indictment includes a Notice of Special Sentencing Factors which could permit the United States to seek the death penalty.
An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt in a court of law. The U.S. Attorney’s Office thanked the FBI, the National Park Service and the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office for their investigation of the case.
Key Facts
- State: North Carolina
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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