Deputies Examining Husband's Laptop in Young Murder Probe

RALEIGH, N.C. — Wake County sheriff’s deputies are scouring a laptop computer seized from the car of Jason Young, husband of a Wake County mother killed last month, WRAL learned Saturday.

A search warrant asking permission to examine the computer indicates they are looking for financial records, correspondence with insurance companies and other evidence that might help them find the person who beat the pregnant mother to death in her home.

Michelle Young, 29, was found dead in the couple’s home on Nov. 3. A preliminary autopsy report indicated that she died from blunt force trauma.

In describing what deputies sought with the warrant, Investigator B.T. David said it was a Dell Latitude laptop and "evidence that may aid in the identification of a possible suspect and the motivation for this homicide to include: digital evidence, diskettes, CD ROM, material relating to data used to commit the above offense, 'cookie' data files, Internet browser logs ... financial records, e-mails, instant messages" and several other kinds of computer files.

Deputies had seized the computer from Jason Young's Ford Explorer when he returned to Raleigh after his wife's body was discovered. This warrant is for the data on the machine's hard drive.

Earlier in the investigation, deputies seized two computer hard drives from the house and a cell phone from Jason Young’s car.

Jason Young talked with investigators the day his wife's body was found and later gave fingerprints under a court order, but Investigators have not named him as a suspect.

Wake County Sheriff Donnie Harrison has said that Young has refused to speak with investigators.

"Attempts have been made to have Jason Young assist in this investigation. He has refused to cooperate with the Wake County Sheriff's Office," David's warrant says.