Downtown killing drug-related, police say|[10/18/05]
Published 12:00 am Tuesday, October 18, 2005
Police have their suspect in custody and believe the chain of events in Vicksburg’s most recent homicide began Thursday with a discussion about drugs.
“They met that night and he picked her up,” said Bobby Stewart, an investigator with the Vicksburg Police Department. “It was like, ‘Let’s go get some dope.’ At some point, they went back to his apartment and that’s where things get fuzzy. We know that he was under the influence of a controlled substance.”
William Presley Brown, 32, of 801 Clay St., Apt. 5F, was taken into custody at 11:58 a.m. Monday after police stopped a vehicle in which he was a passenger on U.S. 61 South near Grange Hall Road.
Police Capt. Mark Culbertson said Brown’s mother was driving the vehicle. She was not charged.
Brown was jailed, charged with capital murder in the beating death of Chenara Young, who was 43 and a resident of 1303 Wood St.
She was last seen Thursday evening and her nude body was found behind a trash receptacle outside The Vicksburg Apartments on Saturday at 6:30 p.m.
Police later obtained information and searched Brown’s apartment. They believe that’s where Young was killed by a blow to the head.
Brown remained at large all day Saturday and Sunday.
“By following leads, we were led to a vehicle he could be traveling in, so we were on the lookout,” said Police Chief Tommy Moffett. “Officers spotted the vehicle.”
In Mississippi, a capital murder charge with the possibility of a death sentence can be filed for homicide if there’s evidence of a separate felony, such as rape, arson or robbery.
Moffett said it appeared as though Young was sexually assaulted. Warren County Coroner John Thomason said evidence to determine whether an assault had taken place was gathered during an autopsy Sunday afternoon. Results will not be available for a minimum of two weeks, he said.
The apartment owner said Brown had lived at The Vicksburg for two months. At Monday’s arraignment, Brown told Judge Lewis Burke he has lived in Vicksburg for four months and worked at County Market, 2101 Clay St., for the past two weeks. His state-issued ID sites a Port Gibson address.
Judge Burke declined to set bond.
Moffett said he feels good about the facts police have established thus far, and they will continue to investigate the homicide.
“I feel we have a good case,” he said. “We’re in a good position right now.”
Lakeview Memorial Funeral Home has charge of Young’s arrangements.
The homicide was the fifth in Warren County this year. The most recent was the Aug. 15 shooting death of 22-year-old Jarvis Donald of 2607 Pearl St. Donald was shot once in the head as he sat in a car in a parking lot of a convenience store at Clay and Mission 66. Lance Maniel, 24, 195 Countryside Drive, surrendered to police shortly after the shooting.
Charges are pending against suspects in three other homicides.
No arrest has been made in the shooting death of David W. “Jones” Anderson, who was killed while leaving the Elks Lodge, 2916 Walnut St., on July 28.