Perry County grand jury indicts Noah Back in Vicco teen death case

A Perry County grand jury indicted Noah Back, 26, of Vicco, in the fatal side-by-side crash that killed 16-year-old Emilynn Clark, moving the case out of the district court stage and into the circuit-court phase where felony prosecutions are handled.

The indictment includes murder, unlawful transaction with a minor in the third degree, and a charge involving providing a motor vehicle to a drunk or drug addict. In Kentucky, that means prosecutors have persuaded a grand jury that enough evidence exists to keep building the case toward trial, though the indictment itself does not decide guilt.

Clark died in the February 28 crash in Vicco. Local reporting identified her as a sophomore at Perry County Central High School. Deputies also said a second 16-year-old girl told them she was driving the UTV and was charged with DUI. Sheriff Joe Engle said the preliminary investigation suspected alcohol was involved. One adult male passenger was airlifted with serious injuries.

Back was arrested March 22 on a murder charge in connection with the crash, and a judge later set his bond at $200,000 cash or property. Court records also showed a hearing had been set for June 4 in district court before the grand jury action moved the case forward.

The prosecution has become one of the county’s most closely watched criminal cases this year because it combines a fatal crash, alleged alcohol involvement, teen drivers and passengers, and the broader question of how responsibility is assigned after a night that turned deadly in the Vicco area. The case has also kept pressure on the Perry County Sheriff’s Office and the Commonwealth Attorney’s Office as residents watch for how the evidence will be presented in circuit court.

The matter became more complex when federal authorities brought sex-crime charges tied to a minor survivor from the crash. Back later pleaded guilty in federal court on May 1, 2026, to transporting a minor across state lines for criminal sexual activity. That separate case adds another layer of accountability around the same defendant as the state murder case continues.

For Perry County, the indictment ensures the fatal Vicco crash will remain in the public eye. It also deepens questions about side-by-side use on local roads, enforcement, alcohol access, and the safety of teenagers riding in vehicles that can turn deadly in an instant.