Medical examiner: Asheville man stabbed 6-year-old daughter to death

ASHEVILLE, N.C. — An Asheville man has been accused of killing his 6-year-old daughter along the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Media outlets report that 36-year-old Seth Willis Pickering has been charged with first-degree murder in the Friday death of Lila Pickering. He appeared before a Buncombe County judge on Monday.

(Lila Pickering)

A medical examiner said the girl died from a stab wound to her chest.

Court documents show that Seth Pickering and his estranged wife had been in the midst of a split and custody battle.

The state murder charge will likely be dropped and federal authorities will take control of the case, as Lila Pickering was killed on federal property.

Judge Edwin Clontz will appoint a public defender to represent Seth Pickering.

The judge set the next court date for Oct. 3.

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Associated Press