The frightening face of a murder suspect who 'killed his friend in the woods and left his body for children to find' 

  • David Adam Pate, 24, seems to smile slightly in his mug shot as he sticks out his forked tongue
  • He has a least a dozen tattoos visible, including '974' - the sign of the street gang Gangster Disciples - on his neck and 'SATAN' above one eye

By Daily Mail Reporter

Published: 00:36 GMT, 25 November 2013 | Updated: 00:38 GMT, 25 November 2013

Nobody who has seen David Adam Pate's face is likely to forget it any time soon.

The 24-year-old South Carolina murder suspect posted for a frightening mug shot after he alleged took a friend into the woods, killed him and left his body for neighborhood children to find.

Pate seems to smile slightly as he sticks out his forked tongue, which was surgically split. He has a least a dozen tattoos visible, including '974' - the sign of the street gang Gangster Disciples - on his neck; 'SATAN' above one eye; as well as a symbol on his forehead.

Frightening: David Adam Pates, 24, poses for a mug shot after he was arrested for murdering a man in the woods five weeks ago

Frightening: David Adam Pates, 24, poses for a mug shot after he was arrested for murdering a man in the woods five weeks ago

WBTV reports that detectives believe Pate led Ricky W. James, 33, into the woods near Lancaster, South Carolina, and murdered him in mid-October.

He then covered the body with brush.

Children who were playing in the area discovered James' badly-decomposed body last weekend.

Pate was already in jail at the time - he was arrested two weeks ago on a disorderly conduct charge.

Police said they immediately suspected he was behind the killing, but had to wait for lab results to come back in order to file charges.

Tattooed: Pate shows off his numerous tattoos, including '974' on his neck. The marking is associated with the Gangster Disciples street gang

Tattooed: Pate shows off his numerous tattoos, including '974' on his neck. The marking is associated with the Gangster Disciples street gang

He was formally charged with murder on Friday. 

'Our deepest condolences go out to the family of Mr. James.  We are thankful that we were able to solve this case so quickly,' Lancaster County Sheriff Barry Faile told WBTV.

'Our investigators did a great job putting this case together.  We suspected Pate almost immediately but had to wait on lab results to prove it. 

'We are thankful he is in jail where he belongs.'