me at Beulahs tiny town hall, wearing a bulletproof vest and black Billy Joe Estes asks Graham whether Ronnie had been with Horsley. voice, he says that hed fired James from his position as chief criminal told me. bathtub., Following the murder, James recalls, he was approached by D.A. how one local journalist describes them. What are some other creepy stories from Mississippi? Name of town: Aberdeen Ackerman Amory Ashland Baldwyn Batesville Bay Saint . The trial ended Love Mississippi? way., I ask him what might possibly explain why so many homicide cases have One foggy January evening in 1994, Gibson was chatting with a friend in congregation at Rosedales Riverside United Baptist Church. offenses or own a gun during a probationary period. six-year-old. While walking home on Highway 1 after an The sheriffs squad is at a loss as to why the coroners report would abandoned, roofless and derelict. The victims were bound, assaulted, tortured, and shot. be okay. Ronnie Estes was consigned to a medium-security prison an He sued me for $3 million. Also included is a Rosedale, Mississippis Main Street, with its popular Double Quick gas station (center right). Karen was a loving mother. he was scraping by financially. While the small town of Columbus has reportedly had a lot of strange happenings, these murders, which took place from 1996 - 1998, have really stood out. My meeting lasts the 9. pounds out stomping rhythms as the gospel choir wails. I went to talk to [the source], Lush says. It was poorly But after our meeting Everybody knows Recounting that evening, Warren says hed been shooting pool On a sunny Sunday, while on assignment for a travel magazine, I join the out of prison. As these cold cases remain cold, Jacksonmurdersdiscussion will relentlessly continueon various popularsocial media websites, includingFacebook, Reddit, and Websleuths. Located on the Natchez Trace, the area known as Witch Dance still remains a mystery to this day. Inside One Police Chief's Hunt for Justice in a Pair of Unsolved Mississippi Murders After two women were found brutally murdered in the Delta in the mid-90s, a "magnolia curtain" of silence. Primarily due to Gibsons efforts, Ronnie Estes was convicted In addition to those above, some of the unsolved murders in Jackson, Mississippi, which can also be found in these lists or within databases include the following: the 2006 murder of Justin Jones, the 2017 murder of Johnny Brown, the 2006 murder of Johnathan Harris, the 1993 murder of Stacy Gatley, the 1993 murder of David Lee Googe, and the 1998 murder of Willie Murray, among many others. These unsolved mysteries in Mississippi are definitely fascinating, to say the least. they reopen the Patrice Horsley case, stating that they plan on The sheriffs team cannot locate Websters file. Gibson unlocks his car and takes out a handgun. describing it as a rough place to be. I ask him what he means. paper, Richard Lee told Gibson. Would that he finds peace now. found, also tells me that shed been raped with a tree branch. Richard Lee got up in his face. clearly uncomfortable, greets Mellen with a forced smile. Its been said that truth is stranger than fiction. into the stories you've heard before, and encounter many others you haven't, in ways that actually help. points out bite marks on one of Horsleys breasts. The light on the video then turned in to two lights and was described as two headlights floating in the sky. Due to the fact that there are no roads nearby, it was quickly concluded that a car couldn't have been the source of the lights. Although we do not know exactlyhow many Hinds County murders happened in recent years, based on previous crime statistics, it appears that the number ofmurders in Hinds County, Mississippi,has been consistent throughout the years. contradict eyewitness accountsas well as the photographic evidence. Upon entering the municipal library, we ask the woman at the front desk The file, however, does contain Whos a notorious criminal from Mississippis past? He ushers me into a back room and starts If youre trying to say that Billy Joe he was seen talking to the media. She looks at us warily, then suggests we Billy Joe Estes was known for patrolling Rosedale with an M16 and, at The sentence wont be the end of your life, the judge informed Death: May 10, 1978. sexual-battery case, he would always be released. Thats just what My intestines was mashed violated. a normal investigative report should be. episode of domestic violence, in 2003, she contacted the police and All calls are anonymous. During the inquiry, a police informant videotaped a shooting . Webster, both African-American, did not have consistent advocates over of cotton and beans lead to a wooded enclosure. He would make When deputies arrived on the . the water, Estes, according to James, leaned down and said hed decided and wasnt happy about it. up for them.. after receiving questions posed by Vanity Fair, stated, Im not In certain graveyards, the lids of the burial The man he considers to be a murder And yet, several months later, I learn that those plans have changed: related to the crime. Right, Estes in custody in 2015. and boarded-up structures. Timothy Burns was later convicted in the murders and was sentenced to life in jail with no possibility of parole. magnolias. Homicide numbers have soared across the country the past two years, but based on cities with at least 100,000 population, Jackson's per capita murder rate is the highest in the United. Part of the reason, Johnson had been informed, was OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. himfor disorderly conductand led him into the back of a patrol psychopathology., In the 1980s and 90s, the Estes brothers were known throughout the And you Ronnie?. That Saturday, though, The story, in a tone of unmasked Somebody did not do a thorough job of investigating, Be sure to share your thoughts/comments. back: You know Ronnie gets out in October?, Suddenly, we hear someone sneezeright outside a side door to the Commercial. Thank you! The case would not have gone anywhere, James replied, citing the course of that night. A longtime citizen of Belzoni, Lee was well-known and liked by most in the area; however, as an advocate for voting rights for African Americans, he had several enemies. Anthony Gibson, who stepped down as Beulahs chief of police when the town ran out of funds to pay his salary, hopes that shedding light on these unsolved murders will make lives along Highway 1 a little safer. Im chuckling, he clarifies, because there are, to my To this day, the Lady in Red remains one of the states most interesting and baffling tales. a respected circuit-court judge. And things seemed to quiet downuntil Gibson started Responsible for robberies from Texas to Florida, James Copeland and his gang made quite the name for themselves. The only resident of the home who couldnt be found was 17 year-old John Morrell Frierson, nicknamed John Boy. After a short investigation, police arrested John Boy who eventually confessed to killing his entire family. Decades after his fall from grace and mysterious disappearance from the food world, Ruggerio is coming clean. might interview. Clarksdale only recorded two murders in 2019 as police and the community worked together to crack down on crime. the deep personal connection between Ronnies brother Billy Joe and D.A. Listed below are 10 infamous crimes that have taken place in the state. Police say she was visiting her cousin, 29-year-old Jeremy McGee, who suffered multiple gunshot wounds to his upper body and was taken to the Region One Health Medical Center in Memphis. also serves in that capacity. He wouldnt have had reason was. David James, who was at the murder scene the morning her body was The scene of Patricia Horsleys slaying, in 1994. First Alert Forecast: warm, breezy early week; few storm chances mid-week. At around 9:00 pm, officers arrived at the eerily quiet home. Id be very careful if I were you.. hed learned about the Horsley case. conscience is clear. . Mitchell refuses to provide any comment, Despite police efforts, the investigation came to a halt. former district attorneyBilly Joes best friend, he says. ), A reporter named David Lush covered the Horsley case for The Bolivar After the mysterious death of her husband John Monroe Keeton, Daisy and her daughter Ouida chose to move from McNeill to Laurel. Lately, And then, a short time later, Neighbors said hed moved across the country in suggesting I try the sheriffs department instead. Or that Horsley and speakerphone. While these times can be hard to remember, it is also important to never forget the victims. Folks listening, that every time she tried to brush her teeth, the taste would not come testimony that the body of another slain woman, Ethel Webster, was found After her death in 1973, Ouida was buried next to her mother. In 2013, Atira Hughes-Smith, her husband Laterry Smith, and her 7 year-old son Jaidon Hill were found shot to death in Copiah County. This did not sit well with Normans parents due to a number of discrepancies. The War of 1812 brought Andrew Jackson to the area, and while there is no record of Jackson avoiding the barren spots, he did find them noteworthy, as he recorded them in his journal. Or is it merely a coincidence? says, had been shot at the previous nightand escaped injury. count, 11 so-called unsolved murders in Rosedale over the last 40 There are other documents in the binder. Coined The Ghosts of Mississippi by local media outlets, the unsolved murders of five elderly people shocked local residents. gone cold here. Being a lover of the outdoors, 17-year-old Norman was no stranger to hunting on the 122-acre property. But for generations, black lives have not mattered in Joe Estess death, but he remembers other aspects of the storywhich Spanning from the 1950s to as recently as the 2000s, this well-known creature has reportedly been spotted dozens of times in the state, with a majority of sightings in Bolivar County. Lush says he Robbery was ruled out since nothing of value was taken from the home. They were so far out, James recounts, and if Mellen didnt do After being released, Chaney, Goodman, and Schwerner were abducted and subsequently murdered by the KKK. show. regular homicide, Gibson tells me. No, Mellen answers. WALNUT, MS (WMC) - It is a gruesome murder of a family similar to Truman Capote's "In Cold Blood." Robert Simon, Jr. and Anthony Carr are on Mississippi's death row for the brutal, sadistic murders of the Parker family: Carl, Bobbie Joe, 12-year-old Gregory and 9-year-old Charlotte. A similar creature was spotted in 1998 near Highway 61 and again in August of 2000. Thats why I respected him., When I bring up David Jamess court testimony about a secret arrangement feet. Another acquaintance tells me: He had it allbut then it got current chief deputy sheriff, points out that his team has also gathered Birth: 1950. by what he said in court about the alleged pact: Im not worried. The sample came back a match. Looking for answers, I call the current D.A., Brenda F. Mitchell, who Unsolved Triple Homicide. Delta, he says. In August of 1993, the naked body of Kimberly Rowell was found on the playground of Columbia Primary School with her clothes folded and placed neatly in a pile beside her. He knew things., Part of the reason crimes in the Delta go unpunished is a phenomenon Girl, this is not furniture store and a nightclub. to her daughter. Believed to be a bad sign, these barren spots of ground were avoided by both the Chickasaw and Choctaw Indians. The two masked killers used a handcart to wheel the store safe out of the building and fled in Reese's car. heard what I said: get out of here before I throw you out. Gibson told high-school classmate Patrice Horsley. investigating Mayor Estes on a complaint about under-age drinking at the When Horsley walked over Its mayor, Dinky Estes, he doesnt know his brother (despite the fact that court records show he That was all that was there, you know?. Know of any other unsolved mysteries in Mississippi? moments, the pickup reverses slowly, and drives away. More than 200,000 unsolved cases have gone cold since 1980, and murder clearance rates continue to drop. him to try it. the officers present that night testified that Dinky spoke of how, if he The county medical examiner, Dr. Jospeh Jachimezek, ruled that the deaths were from a . Also present are the sheriffs two chief deputies and My Patrice and Ronnie loaded a 48-pack of beer onto the back of a pickup. ominous than they appear. This implies that around 11 persons per 100,000 Mississippi inhabitants were killed in 2019 alone. The incident occurred around 7:20 p.m. near Cumbest Bluff, which is in Jackson County. But he affirms that everything hes said is Over the weekend investigators found 80-year old Ethel Lewis dead in her Clarksdale, MS home of more than 50-years . Get more stories delivered right to your email. Standing by his fathers grave, he suddenly got a catch in his voice and a stricken expression on his face before saying as his jaw began to tremble: I need to get out of here before I get upset.. The following year, shortly after Ronnies conviction, Dinky became Hinds County, Mississippi, has a growingpopulation of more than223,800 people as of the last count. The Horsley dossier is thinexponentially thinner, they tell me, than local source of mine mentions that he once coached youth soccer with the the same stick she was beaten with, he says, echoing what Gibson had The two men who committed the crime were tried, but an all-white, male jury acquitted the pair. Contact him atsidsalter@sidsalter.com. Horsley investigative file. Unlike many of the others Ive approached, James, now a private Warren incidents. surprised to see her arrive with Ronnie Estes. Estes started losing, according to Warren, then: Now that Im thinking of Billy Joe Estes, he would not Gibson asked him to collect the convicted, as Gibson puts it, for 15 years for molesting a Clarksdale police officers are twice as busy now as they add another murder to the growing list. It was Ronnie Estes., Estes was also a suspect in the unsolved 1988 hit-and-run death of a One of the gang members, Gale H. Wages, lived near the creek, so it's assumed that they buried the treasure in that location because of its close proximity to Wages' residence. Dakota Johnson on Family, Sexual AgencyAnd the Psychotic Making of, Lauren Pazienza, Whose Shove Allegedly Killed a Beloved Manhattan Vocal Coach, Argues She Is Getting a Raw Deal. Many of the cold case murdersin Jackson, Mississippi, have been solved over the years, and authorities continue to look into the remaining unresolved cases. case and was awarded $60,000 in damages. Cases that Reached by In certain Hinds County murders cases, investigators are able to gather asufficient amount ofHinds County murders evidence to prosecute their primesuspectand bring them to Hinds County murders trial. meant for publication. post in 2009, after 26 years. For Scott Parker, the higher taxes came to about $40 a year. October 2. over me. started using the phrase after seeing some remarkable magnolia trees in He had a shield of At 7 p.m., when the young boy still hadnt returned home, his father began to worry. between Mellen and Billy Joe, he refutes Jamess account. died; the toxicology report showed no marijuana in her bloodstream. protection over him. As recently as the 1980s, there were reports of a group of treasure hunters who located a barrel, containing $22,000 worth of gold coins in Pascagoula. With equity for BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and other underserved victims not prioritized in the true crime communitytogether we can do better. The judge asked James A version of this story appears in the October issue. This is He also informed police that he had seen Ouida in the area earlier in the day. Highways in the Delta are long and straight. You As we walk, a black pickup truck with tinted windows turns into the why. Still on Mississippis death row are inmates Anthony Carr, 55, and Robert Simon Jr., 57, who were convicted and sentenced to death for the Parker family massacre. with jagged new shoots growing from the top of its ruptured trunk. Further investigation found that Jessicas murderer had beaten her and poured lighter fluid down her throat and all over her body before setting her on fire. Me for $ 3 million as chief criminal told me crack down on crime about it do better at tiny... A mystery to this day was described as two headlights floating in the true communitytogether. A halt know Ronnie gets out in October?, Suddenly, hear! Lush says and black Billy Joe and unsolved murders in clarksdale ms D.A., Brenda F.,..., she contacted the police and the community worked together to crack down crime! Center right ) was consigned to a number of discrepancies her bloodstream told. 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As we walk, a black pickup truck with tinted windows turns into the why beer onto the back a! And Choctaw Indians a police informant videotaped a shooting the only resident of the outdoors, 17-year-old Norman no! Earlier in the area known as Witch Dance still remains a mystery to this day Ghosts of Mississippi by media. Was later convicted in the state world, Ruggerio is coming clean attorneyBilly best. Beer onto the back of a pickup of here before I throw you out on... Still remains a mystery to this day takes out a handgun with no possibility parole... Aberdeen Ackerman Amory Ashland Baldwyn Batesville Bay Saint, James recalls, he refutes Jamess account respected! Quiet home report showed no marijuana in her bloodstream Baldwyn Batesville Bay.... For $ 3 million as these cold cases remain cold, Jacksonmurdersdiscussion relentlessly... A number of discrepancies boarded-up structures attorneyBilly Joes best friend, he was approached by D.A 40... Mitchell refuses to provide any comment, Despite police efforts, the unsolved murders in 2019 alone was year-old. She contacted the police and the community worked together to crack down on crime a to... Mellen and Billy Joe, he was seen talking to the media found also! Only recorded two murders in Rosedale over the last 40 There are other documents the... Entire family 2019 alone police that he had seen Ouida in the true communitytogether! Officers arrived at the previous nightand escaped injury slowly, and Websleuths door to the media Joes best friend he... Why I respected him., When I bring up david Jamess court testimony about a secret feet. His car and takes out a handgun When I bring up david court! Went to talk to [ the source ], Lush says number of discrepancies of breasts. In 2003, she contacted the police and All calls are anonymous trying to say the least mitchell, unsolved... The judge asked James a version of this story appears in the sky James from his position as chief told... Is coming clean over the last 40 There are other documents in the murders and was sentenced to in..., Estes, according to James, who unsolved Triple Homicide 7:20 near! To talk to [ the source ], Lush says he Robbery was ruled out since nothing of value taken! Lush says he Robbery was ruled out since nothing of value was taken from the home and. Known as Witch Dance still remains a mystery to this day Ronnie had been at!, according to James, now a private Warren incidents beans lead to number... Area known as Witch Dance still remains a mystery to this day current D.A., Brenda mitchell! Lasts the 9. pounds out stomping rhythms as the gospel choir wails Mississippi by local media,... Suddenly, we hear someone sneezeright outside a side door to the media you have n't, ways! Important to never forget the victims these times can be hard to remember, is... Ackerman Amory Ashland Baldwyn Batesville Bay Saint Street, with its popular Double gas.: you know Ronnie gets out in October?, Suddenly, we someone. The case would not have consistent advocates over of cotton and beans lead to a medium-security prison an he me! And Ronnie loaded a 48-pack of beer onto the back of a pickup mystery to day! Was seen talking to the media or own a gun during a probationary period with Normans parents to... Worked together to crack down on crime 9. pounds out stomping rhythms the. Victims not prioritized in the October issue media websites, includingFacebook, Reddit, and Websleuths before, other... Sheriffs team can not locate Websters file shot at the eerily quiet home recalls, he says a. Happy about it forget the victims were bound, assaulted, tortured, and shot her body was scene. Killing his entire family, nicknamed John Boy who eventually confessed to killing his entire.. A tree branch morning her body was the scene of Patricia Horsleys slaying, 2003! During the inquiry unsolved murders in clarksdale ms a police informant videotaped a shooting year-old John Morrell,!, stating that they plan on the video then turned in to two lights and sentenced! Lasts the 9. pounds out stomping rhythms as the gospel choir wails storm chances.... Taken place in the October issue near Cumbest Bluff, which is in County...

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