Sampson County sheriff says 11-year-old was killed

CLINTON, N.C. (AP) – The Sampson County Sheriff’s Office says the death of an 11-year-old girl found dead in her home earlier this month has been ruled a homicide.

The Fayetteville Observer reports (http://bit.ly/1fivNDW) the ruling was made by the state Medical Examiner, based on an autopsy. However, a spokeswoman in the Raleigh office said the cause of death is not being released because all tests are not completed.

Cpl. Marcus Smith said a family member found McKenzie Mae Sessoms unresponsive in her home in Salemburg sometime after 7 a.m. on Sept. 6. Smith said she was pronounced dead at the scene.

Smith would not say how she died or where in the home she was found.

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Information from: The Fayetteville Observer, http://www.fayobserver.com

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