Search for killer continues 13 years after shooting death of Augusta teen
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - It’s been 13 years since an Augusta teen was found shot to death in the backseat of a car and the search for his killer continues.
Sixteen-year-old Kyle Royal was killed just off of Mike Padgett Highway back in January of 2012.
Kyle’s sister, Chasity Royal, spends most of her time thinking of what life could’ve been with her brother still around.
“I actually just turned 30, so, he would’ve been turning 30 this year as well,” said Chasity. “So, that’s something I would’ve been looking forward to, just milestones, more memories as well.”
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His father, Charlie Royal, thinks about how life was.
“Full of energy, love to crack jokes, very humorous, just a typical kid at heart,” said Charlie. “He had a lot of attributes of myself.”
“I don’t think it’s ever a day where I don’t think about Kyle,” said Chasity. “He’s not somebody that you can just bury, because of the impact that he had. Sometimes when I walk in this house, I’m expecting him to come in and just hug.”
A future entrepreneur with a passion for fashion, his sister said.
Kyle was a student at the Academy of Richmond County and took up boxing lessons at the Augusta Boxing Club. A place where he’d spend much of his time until his life ended just miles away.
On the night of Jan. 16, 2012 Richmond County investigators responded to a call for a car crashing into a pole on Mike Padgett Highway, but when they got there—what they found was much worse. Kyle slumped over with a gunshot wound.
Bullet casings from several different guns were found on the scene.
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Investigators say a fight inside of a club near the crash site led to a shootout in the club’s parking lot.
Kyle was in the back seat of a car speeding away from the gunfire when a bullet pierced through the car hitting him in the back of the head.
It’s believed he died instantly.
“We always went to parties together,” said Chasity. “That was the one weekend I didn’t go to the party. My brother had been asking me and my cousin to go and none of us did.”
Kyle’s father was out of town that weekend. He said the club where the shooting happened was for teens.
“Typically, I would let him go to this teen venue, but we had rules in terms of I drop him off come back and pick him up at a specific time,” said Charlie.
This particular weekend however, Kyle’s mother told him he couldn’t go out while his father was out of town.
“He had kind of slipped out of the house, so, she didn’t even know that he wasn’t there.”
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It was later found the club was operating illegally, according to investigators.
No other occupants were inside of the car when investigators made it to the scene.
Kyle’s sister says she may not know what the killer has been through, but does know what her and her family will never forget that day.
“I have a really forgiving heart. I’ve actually already forgiving them. At this point, it would just be them moving forward in their life. If that’s them accepting accountability and turning themselves in or if that’s just ensuring they’re on the right path and never do this again or just coming to us and letting us know that they did it,” said Chasity.
If you know anything that could help investigators your urged to contact the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office at 706-821-1080.
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