ISLE OF WIGHT COUNTY, Va. (WAVY) — The Isle of Wight County Sheriff’s Office outlined the events preceding the death of 18-year-old Aonesty Selby of Williamsburg, and the clues in the aftermath that led them to Newport News and the arrest of a man there.
Sheriff’s Office officials held a press conference Wednesday with the latest updates on Selby, whose body was found last Friday on a remote logging path in the 13000 block of Blue Ridge Trail just two days after her family in Williamsburg last heard from her.
Andarius McClelland, 21, was arrested and charged with second-degree murder in connection to Selby’s death.
On Monday, the Chief Medical Examiner in Norfolk ruled her death as a homicide, saying Selby died from a single gunshot wound.
During the press conference, Sheriff James R. Clark Jr. said that the James City Police Department sent a teletype – a printed message sent by law enforcement agencies – that they were searching for the missing 18-year-old.
Later that night, Clark said that Selby’s family notified the Isle of Wight Sheriff’s Office that they discovered her body on the path on Blue Ridge Trail.
Operations Captain Tommy Potter said Selby’s family was on the logging path because they received information from a friend of Selby who had Selby’s location.
Potter says that Selby sent the friend her location on the night of Jan. 11 but that her friend did not see it until she received word that Selby was missing.
Potter then continued the press conference by giving an update on the investigative process after Selby’s body was found.
Once investigators arrived on the scene, they secured the crime scene and started their initial investigation, which included a forensic examination of Selby’s phone that was found at the crime scene.
Based on information confirmed by Selby’s phone, Deputies found that she had taken an Uber on Jan. 11 from Williamsburg to an apartment complex on Coral Key Place in Newport News.
Potter said that based on the information they received, they learned Selby was possibly seeing a man named Darius who lived in the area. Darius was later determined to be 21-year-old Andarius McClelland.
Potter continued by saying that McClelland had sent Selby money via CashApp to pay for her Uber to Newport News.
Investigators then searched the FLOCK camera system, which reads license plates. They learned that a 2021 Dodge Charger, registered to McClelland’s brother, was caught leaving Isle of Wight County and driving into Newport News at 10:47 p.m. Jan. 11.
Potter said investigators interviewed McClelland’s brother, who said that McClelland and Selby were at the apartment the two brothers shared in Newport News. He continued by saying both McClelland and Selby left the apartment together around 7:15 p.m.
Investigators also learned during the interview that McClelland’s brother kept a 9mm handgun in the apartment. Potter says McClelland attempted to sell the firearm Jan. 13, but was unsuccessful. The gun was later recovered from the house during a search warrant Jan. 17.
During the same search warrant, deputies arrested McClelland in connection with Selby’s death.
Potter said while being interviewed by investigators, McClelland said he and Selby had been dating off and on for the past two months.
McClelland told investigators that the two of them left his residence after his brother came home from work on Jan. 11. The two decided to drive to Isle of Wight County and found a spot off of Iron Mine Springs Road, which is a road adjacent to where Selby’s body was found.
Potter said McClelland told investigators that after some time talking and smoking marijuana, an argument began over their relationship. McClelland said he had his brother’s 9mm gun at the time and that during the argument, he fired the gun and struck Selby.
Potter said McClelland then panicked and drove back to Newport News.
Watch the full press conference below:
McClelland has been charged with second-degree murder and the use or display of a firearm in committing a felony.
Continue to check WAVY.com for updates.