Suspect charged with 2nd murder in three years

Published 8:36 pm Sunday, September 13, 2015

A Vicksburg man was charged with murder for the second time in three years following a deadly shooting Saturday at a mobile home park on Standard Hill Road.

Tamares Ledell Dillon, 35, 118 Lightcap Blvd., was arrested about 7:30 p.m. Saturday and charged with second-degree murder and two counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon in the death of 42-year-old Joseph Acuff in the 600 block of Standard Hill Road, Sheriff Martin Pace said.

091415-Dillon-web“It appears at this time that the suspect, Tamares Dillon, and an acquaintances of his were eat that residence working on a Jeep when the victim, Joseph Acuff and an acquaintance of his pulled up in the driveway,” Pace said.

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The men started arguing almost immediately, Pace said.

“At some point, Dillon pulled a handgun and fired one shot, striking Acuff in the neck,” Pace said.

A knife was recovered outside the home on Standard Hill, but the weapon believed to have fired the fatal shot had not been Sunday, Pace said.

At the time of his arrest, Dillon was out on bail awaiting trial in the 2012 death of 28-year-old Mardy Eugene Blackmore at Vangard Apartments on Lake Hill Drive.

About 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dillion was arrested at the home of Shelly T. Walker, 40, 120 Redhawk Road, Pace said.

“At the time of his arrest, he was in a back bedroom lying beside him was a loaded 12-gague shotgun,” Pace said.

According to court records, Dillon has at least two felony convictions. The two weapons charges come from the shooting and having the shotgun when he was arrested.

Inside Walker’s home, deputies saw crystal methamphetamine in plain view and got a warrant to search the home, Pace said.

“We recovered crystal methamphetamine, scales, small plastic bags consistent with packing for the sale of crystal meth and a .25-caliber handgun in addition to the shotgun,” he said.

Walker, who was on house arrest from the Mississippi Department of Corrections, was arrested and charged with possession of meth with intent to distribute and two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm, Pace said. She was also being held Sunday for a house arrest violation.

She was wearing an MDOC monitoring bracelet around her ankle at the time of her arrest, he said.

Additional, Jeffery Eatmon, 35, 2816 Drummond St., was inside the home when deputies and Vicksburg police entered, Pace said. Eatmon, who is also a convicted felon, was charged with of possession of meth and possession of firearm by a felon, Pace said.

All three people arrested Saturday are expected to appear Monday in Warren County Justice Court.

It is unlikely Dillon, who is free on bail in the 2012 murder case will be eligible to post bail. Under state law, Walker will face a house arrest revocation hearing before she is eligible to post bail. If found guilty of violating house arrest, she will be sent back to prison.

“This matter remains under investigation,” Pace said, adding he would not rule out additional arrests or charges.

Second-degree murder was added to the Mississippi Code in 2013 and requires no premeditation. It is similar to the former charged of murder by depraved heart.

If found guilty at trial, Dillon would face a life sentence in both murder cases. If he were to plead guilty, he would face between 20 and 40 years in prison.

Pace would not speculate as to whether the killing was related to a homicide Friday night at Battlefield Inn.

Richard May Jr., 34, was found shot to death at about 9:30 p.m. Friday inside a room of the motel. Police Chief Walter Armstrong said the shooting was the result of an argument that erupted after two rooms were rented at the motel.

Methamphetamine and weapons were seized in both rooms, he said.

About 1:30 a.m., Saturday, police arrested Jimmy Dale Reid in a wooded area between the motel and Vicksburg National Military Park. Reid had been shot in the arm and was taken to a hospital before being taken to jail, Armstrong said.

Reid is expected to appear Monday in Vicksburg Municipal Court.