Update: Charges filed in Republic teen's slaying
REPUBLIC, Mo. (AP) - A southwest Missouri medical examiner says a 17-year-old boy found dead in a ditch may have been the victim of a homicide.
Greene County Sheriff Jim Arnott says a passer-by found the body in a ditch along a farm road near Republic around 7:30 a.m. Saturday. The boy has been identified as Weston T. North, of Republic.
The Springfield News-Leader reports (http://sgfnow.co/uwiJWH) the sheriff declined to describe North's injuries, but said they don't appear to have resulted from natural causes. The medical examiner reported on a preliminary examination Saturday night.
The ditch is located about a mile southeast of Republic High School. Arnott says the area is well-traveled because it's near the school and a site where Civil War battle re-enactments were held during the summer.
Information from: Springfield News-Leader, http://www.news-leader.com