Three Sharkey County men on trial for murder were found innocent by a trial jury in a verdict returned Thursday night.

John Traylor, 47, and Tyrone Traylor, 46, both of 318 Maiden Circle, Cary, and Malcolm Williams, 41, 38 Poinsettia Drive, Rolling Fork, were immediately freed after spending the last nine months in the Sharkey County Jail, charged in the death of Hunter Hoye.

The jury of eight women and four men, sequestered since being selected, deliberated for just under two hours before returning the verdict, District Attorney Ricky Smith said.

Defense attorneys picked holes in the testimony of lead prosecution witness Monique Hoye, who was not a blood relative of the victim but considered him her uncle, Smith said.

Monique Hoye had given at least four different statements since the death of Hunter Hoye on Sept. 14, 2008, Smith said.

“Our case rested almost entirely on the believability of Monique Hoye and the jury obviously found too many discrepancies in her statements,” Smith said.

Hunter Hoye, who was 40, was a longtime Cary resident whose body was found in Deer Creek. An autopsy showed that he died of blunt trauma to the head, and also revealed the presence of cocaine and alcohol in his system, Smith said. The Traylor brothers were arrested Oct. 8, and Williams turned himself in Oct. 16.

Monique Hoye testified that Hunter Hoye had purchased drugs Sept. 13 from Malcolm Williams and Williams was angry about the amount paid, Smith said. She told jurors she was in a vehicle with the victim and the three defendants in the early morning hours of Sept. 14, and that Williams hit Hunter Hoye in the head with a stick and the Traylor brothers threw his body into Deer Creek, Smith said.

All three defendants took the stand and denied any involvement in the death, he said.

The jury acquittal was Smith’s first since he took office in January 2008.

Sixteen jury trials have been held during Smith’s tenure, 14 ending with convictions and two in mistrials with hung juries. One of the convictions was recorded after a retrial.

Thirteen of the jury convictions resulted in five life sentences and a total of 382 years in prison. One sentencing is pending. Smith has also dropped charges in two homicide cases, reportedly after witnesses could not be found to testify.

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Contact Pamela Hitchins at phitchins@vicksburgpost.com