Grandfather of teen accused of murdering mum and stepdad defends 'ideal child'
Sarah Grace Patrick's grandfather has spoken out about his granddaughter and the heinous crimes she stands accused of for the first time since handing herself in to police.
The teenager, who is accused of murdering her mother and stepdad, has been charged with two counts of murder and two counts of aggravated assault.
Sarah's mother, Kristin Brock, 41, and stepfather, James Brock, 45, were fatally shot in their bedroom before being found on 20 February, say Carroll County Sheriff officials.
Following a long investigation, police reached out to Sarah, who was staying with her biological father, with a warrant for her arrest.
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As a result, she turned herself in on Tuesday (7 July) last week.
Chilling footage of the 17-year-old delivering a eulogy at the pair's funeral was recently released online, though her family members reiterate that her tears were genuine.
The Georgia teen's harrowing social media posts leading up to her charges have also been released, as officials noted the 'mountains of physical and digital evidence' found.
Her grandfather and Kristin's father, Dennis Nolan, said in a new interview with NewsNation that it is difficult to say if she is guilty or not.
"Well, it's hard to make any judgement at this point. You know, they have to release the evidence, and I don't understand what evidence they have," he said of her innocence.
He added: "I think most of it, from what I understand, is circumstantial. And, you know, she's my granddaughter, I have to stand behind her."
Speaking to the Law&Crime Network, he admitted that he has 'been talking to the detectives since it happened'.
Revealing he has spoken to his granddaughter since the charges, Nolan added: "Yes, she called me from the from the jail the day after, of course, pleading for me to help her get out."
He went on: "I've always liked Sarah... She was just an ideal child. She had just graduated from high school. She was very proud of that. She had gotten a she was working two jobs. She was doing very well."
When asked if he believed the teen was responsible for the murders, he simply said: "No. No. I think to sum up really the detectives, the best they could tell me was the evidence says that she's the only one who could possibly have done it.
"That says to me that there's no real evidence that says she did do it."
"Sarah was certainly wasn't going anywhere, but um you know, she's she's taking it very hard. She swears by her innocence," he stated.
The Sheriff's Office added that both victims had died of 'apparent gunshot wounds' and their bodies had been found in their bedroom'.
They added that the charges for the 17-year-old followed 'mountains of physical and digital evidence', as well as 'countless interviews'.
They said in a statement: "From the very moment the 911 call was received, a relentless investigation began, one that would span months, consume thousands of hours, and require the full weight of local and federal law enforcement partnerships."
Topics: Crime, True Crime, Social Media
Joshua Nair