ALBEMARLE, N.C. — The search for Albemarle teen Baylee Carver's remains is in its fifth day after she went missing last weekend, police said.
Carver, a 17-year-old from Albemarle, is presumed dead. Joshua Biles, 20, was arrested and charged with obstruction of justice and concealment of death in connection with her disappearance.
The investigation started when Albemarle Police responded to a 911 call at Biles' home on Floral Drive around 4:30 a.m. on May 10. Albemarle detectives and North Carolina state investigators say the call led them to determine that Carver was dead.
According to court documents, investigators believe Biles moved Carver's body from the Floral Drive home and hid the body elsewhere. Investigators found evidence at the home that suggested she had "obvious wounds indicating an unnatural death."
People who live near the suspect's home said he drove a red two-door Honda Civic with black wheels. WCNC Charlotte found the car parked outside the Floral Drive home. Biles' identification card could be seen on the seat.
On Monday, Albemarle Police asked those living in the area to check their home security cameras for video of the car between 3 a.m. and 4:30 a.m. on Friday/ They added the red Honda is a 1999 model with the N.C. tag number "RHC 1776." WCNC Charlotte found the car parked outside the house with Biles' ID on the seat.
Emily Lowery, who's been friends with Carver for years, said Carver was in a relationship with Biles. When WCNC Charlotte spoke to Lowery on Monday, she was hoping Carver was still alive.
"I didn’t want to think it was real," Lowery told WCNC Charlotte. "I don’t think anybody wanted to think that was real. She’s a very uplifting person. I’ve never heard her talk bad about anyone.”
Over 70 law enforcement officials have searched multiple areas in Cabarrus, Rowan and Stanly counties for Carver's remains. Multiple agencies are involved in the search, which is being led by Albemarle police, NCSBI and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.
“We’re covering a lot of ground," Dr. Lisa Briggs with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children said. "We’ve got a lot of volunteers, a lot of agencies."
Groups of people in the community have also joined the search, including Ashley Poplin and her family.
"Personally, I didn’t know the family, but I do have daughters of my own and I know if it was me in their position, I would want anybody and everybody to be out helping look," Poplin said.
Another one of Carver's friends shared with WCNC Charlotte that she loved making weekly trips to the local skating rink and had her own charm about her.
"Baylee was whimsical," the friend shared. "She always believed in the beauty of things and brought a smile to everyone she met. She had her own struggles and worked through them through the enjoyment of others. She was very soft-hearted and loved people very deeply. She had a connection with every animal she met and had an admirable obsession with cats and had multiple of her own."
Aside from feline friends, Carver also loved crystals, vinyl records, the color teal, stargazing, and the movie "The Labyrinth".
Contact Kayland Hagwood at khagwood@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.
Editor's Note: This story was updated on April 14 to provide clarity about evidentiary findings indicated in the court documents
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