Exclusive | Danika Troy’s killers lured daughter into woods by claiming they had crush on her, mom says: ‘She just wanted to be in love’
A mother of a Florida teenager has told The Post that one of the boys arrested for her daughter Danika’s murder lured her into the woods by pretending to have a crush on her. “Gabe pretended to have feelings for her. That’s how she was lured,” Ashley Troy told reporters, referring to 16‑year‑old Gabriel Williams, who now faces a first‑degree premeditated‑murder charge alongside 14‑year‑old Kimahri Blevins.
Ashley, who has not accepted the boys’ claimed motives, added, “I still need answers. I’m just left asking why. She just wanted to be in love.” Danika went missing on December 1, and a passerby alerted authorities the next day; police later discovered her body in a wooded area on Santa Rosa County’s Pace road. She had been shot multiple times, and her body was set on fire before being found.
Investigators quickly identified Williams and Blevins as the main suspects, concluding the killing stemmed from a social‑media dispute that sparked after Thanksgiving break. According to the sheriff’s office, the boys said Danika had blocked Blevins online and insulted Williams, calling him “worthless and a gang banger,” prompting them to decide she should be eliminated.
The accusations have not sat with Ashley, who insists the boys’ statements are merely excuses. Both teens have previous police encounters, though details remain unclear because they are minors.
In the aftermath, the family’s church, Avalon Baptist Church in Milton, is holding a candle‑light vigil in Danika’s memory on Monday night. The suspects remain in juvenile detention and are being held without bond. Despite her anger, Ashley has repeatedly said she wants “nothing less than for them to be prosecuted to the full extent of the law,” even while blaming “evil influence” for the tragedy rather than the boys themselves.
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