Orange deputies seek public’s aid in solving teen’s slaying

Orange County deputies on Friday asked the public for help in piecing together a three-hour period between when a teenager left school and a relative found him shot to death in his home Jan. 9.

Detectives also released a photo of a car — a silver fourdoor sedan, possibly an Infiniti — they think may be connected to the slaying of Justin Machado, a 17-year-old junior at Freedom High School.

He was last seen at 12:30 p.m. at school and was found dead about 3:15 p.m. at his home on Lynchburg Court.

“We’re looking to answer who he was with, any cars he may have gotten into and any minor details that any people may have,” said Detective Justin Wall of the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. “It may seem like a minor detail, but these are the important details that will help us solve this case.”

Justin was an avid baseball fan and played his freshman year as a pitcher and first baseman. He planned to try out for the team again this year, his family said.

As Wall spoke, Justin’s father, Amaury Machado, stood behind him with his arms folded. He did not speak with reporters but was there for support, deputies said.

“By all accounts, Justin was a good kid, came from a good family and had a good reputation among his peers,” Wall said. “He’s never been arrested, seemed to be a good student at school and had a bright future ahead of him.”

He said although detectives don’t have a motive, they do believe the answers may lie with Justin’s peers.

“We know that high schoolers will talk,” Wall said. “We know there are people out there that know what happened. We just need them to come forward.”

Anyone with information is asked to call Crimeline at 407-423-8477.