FBI joins search for Johnston County teen wanted for murder

Police said Cortaz Quemel Lucas Jr., 17, shot Robert Lee Horton, 28, several times in the chest while the two argued inside Horton’s home early that morning.

Clayton police investigators are offering a cash reward for information leading to Lucas' arrest, and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation has also been involved in the search.

Lucas is charged with first-degree murder. On Thursday, a federal warrant for unlawful flight to avoid prosecution was added to his criminal record, which includes a conviction for assault and kidnapping and dates to when he was a juvenile.

Lucas has had several addresses in the past year in Johnston County. He most recently lived at 114 Dennis Way in Clayton. At the time of Horton's death, he was on probation for the assault and kidnapping and was wanted on a probation violation. 

An FBI spokeswoman said investigators believe Lucas may be in Philadelphia or New York City.

“Our detectives and officers have combined forces with several neighboring agencies and have been working around the clock to bring this young man in,” Stacy Beard, spokeswoman for the Town of Clayton, said in a statement. “They’ve searched several homes, continue to obtain new search warrants and remain confident they will make an arrest, but are asking for the public’s help to bring justice in this crime.”