Authorities did not release any information on the teen, including hometown or relationship to the soldiers.
Authorities said a dispute may be behind the abduction of Harris in his truck by Mellish, who then allegedly drove more than 300 miles to his hometown of Brooklyn. The two soldiers and the juvenile then traveled to Ross Road in Byram, where investigators believe Harris was killed.
Byram Township police found Harris body, nearly buried under snow, about 200 feet into the woods off the cul-de-sac. Firefighters called police to the scene after they found blood and several scattered items while on their annual Santa ride through the township.
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With his red hair, freckles and sunny disposition, everyone at home knew Hayden Harris as Opie.
The kid from rural Tennessee was affectionate, thoughtful – a good Christian boy, said Claire Hallissy, a family friend. He had an infectious smile and one passion in life: to join the U.S. Army.
For the 20-year-old, that dream came to a mysterious end last weekend in the snowy woods of Sussex County, 1,000 miles from his hometown in Guys, Tennessee, and 300 more from Fort Drum, New York, where he d been stationed since July 2019. A week after Harris body was found, officials still haven t explained a motive for the alleged killing or why the soldier ended up buried near a secluded cul-de-sac in Byram Township.