Body found in yard; law enforcement waiting on autopsy

Published 7:30 pm Thursday, August 9, 2018

Warren County authorities are waiting the results of an autopsy on a man whose body was found by a family in the yard of their home Wednesday in the 600 block of Burnt House Road, Warren County Sheriff Martin Pace said.

“The body was sent to the (Mississippi State) Crime Lab for an autopsy to determine the cause of death,” he said. “We don’t know what happened. The body did not immediately show any signs of trauma. We do not have a positive ID on the man, and investigators are out trying to get a positive ID.”

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According to sheriff’s department reports, deputies responded to a 911 call about 11:30 a.m. Wednesday from a resident of the home, who said the family returned home Wednesday morning to find a light green SUV pulling a trailer parked in their yard and several people standing outside.

After the family pulled into the drive, the people got in the SUV and drove off. When they looked in the yard they saw what they thought was a person lying in the yard near where the SUV had been standing. When they went to look and found the man, they called authorities.

Deputies and paramedics responding to the call were unable to revive the man, and he was declared dead at the scene by Warren County Coroner Doug Huskey.

“It appears the people who were by the SUV attempted to give the man first aid but were unsuccessful,” Pace said. “We would like to find those people and find out what happened.”

In other crime, Vicksburg police made the following arrests Wednesday:

• Antonio Valdez Smith, 35, 115 McGinty St., Fayette, was arrested about 4:06 a.m. in the 4200 block of I-20 Frontage Road on a charge of simple assault-creating fear.

  Warrants were served on Christopher Keith Page, 35, 141 Red Hawk Road.

• A warrant was served on Darnell Thomas, 57, 212 Belva Drive.

• Shajasmine K. Matthews, 24, 2220 Short Main St., was arrested about 10:56 a.m. on Clay Street on a charge of contempt of court.

• Warrants were served on Lakeisha Monique Martin, 25, 2110 Oak St.

• Tisha Brashae Thomasm 23, 1900 Baldwin Ferry Road, was arrested about 10:56 a.m. on Clay Street on charges of disorderly conduct and three counts of contempt of court. She was also served with warrants.

• Warrants were served on Kenneth Lee Walton Jr., 23, 510 Oakwood Drive.

• Lee Edward Yates, 49, 519 Harris St., was arrested about 2:50 p.m. on Ken Karly Drive on a charge of possession of drug paraphernalia.

• Edward Junear Stowers, 70, 1807 Main St., was arrested about 6:19 p.m. in the 1200 block of Cherry St. on a charge of contempt of court.

• Willie Donnell Jones, 51, 929 Warriors Trail, was arrested about 6:27 p.m. on a charge of contempt of court. He was also served with a warrant.

• Nakeita Michelle Thomas, 22, 17482 Mississippi 465, Eagle Lake, was arrested about 9:13 p.m. in the 1700 block of Monroe St. on charges of contempt of court and malicious mischief. She was also served with warrants.

• A warrant was served on James Leonard Wicker, 54, 807 Patton St.

About John Surratt

John Surratt is a graduate of Louisiana State University with a degree in general studies. He has worked as an editor, reporter and photographer for newspapers in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. He has been a member of The Vicksburg Post staff since 2011 and covers city government. He and his wife attend St. Paul Catholic Church and he is a member of the Port City Kiwanis Club.

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