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KANNAPOLIS, N.C. – Nothing but attitude from 20-year-old Alisha Carlisle as Kannapolis Police detectives led her into the department Monday in her pajamas and handcuffs. When asked by reporters if she had anything to say about her arrest, about what happened to Malaya Heun or anything else, Carlisle curtly replied repeatedly with “No comment.”
Carlisle’s been uncooperative throughout the four and a half month investigation, say police, and so has her boyfriend, 30-year-old John Turner. He, too, didn’t have anything to say Monday. Both Carlisle and Turner are charged with first degree murder in the brutal beating death of 15-month-old Heun. Both also face charges for felony child abuse and assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury.
Carlisle and Turner are dating. Carlisle is Malaya’s aunt. The two were watching Malaya the day she was beaten so badly, her intestines ruptured. Carlisle’s sister, Christy Heun, is Malaya’s mother. A WCCB news producer asked Christy about the arrest of her daughter’s alleged killers, saying, “Do you feel like your sister’s innocent?” Christy replied, “You can’t ask me that question.”
When asked whether she knows if she’ll attend court as her daughter’s case proceeds, she replied, “No, I have three other kids I have to think about, so…”
Malaya’s great aunt Lori Hall cried tears of joy when WCCB told her about the arrests. Hall says, “The first thought was, I knew it! I knew it was them!” Hall goes on to say, “If I was the jury, I would give them the death penalty. ‘Cause Malaya’s was death.” And finally, Hall says, “Justice will be served when there is a conviction. But this is a start of it.”
It’s good progress, too, for the Kannapolis Police Department. Chief Woody Chavis tells WCCB, “We wanted to make sure we had a strong foundation and I believe we have a case that is very solid and I have no doubt it will lead to a successful prosecution.”
WCCB asked Rowan County District Attorney Brandy Cook whether prosecutors can – or will – seek the death penalty in this case. She says right now, she can’t discuss that.
