The shade of Percy King can finally rest after a judge sentenced his killer to serve life in prison without parole. Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens issued the following statement:
Hinds County District Attorney Jody E. Owens, II, announced today that a jury has found 35-year-old, Jamarrio Bell, guilty on two counts of First-Degree Murder in the shooting deaths of 19-year-old Jarvis Birtfield and 57-year-old Percy “Snake Man” King. On the evening of January 12, 2018, Jackson Police Department officers responded to reports of a shooting at Percy King’s residence on Scott Street in Jackson. Upon arrival, officers discovered both victims deceased at the scene. Percy King, a beloved reptile expert, was found lying in the front yard of his home, having suffered multiple gunshot wounds. Nearby, young Jarvis Birtfield, was found dead on the street by the curb from a gunshot wound to the head. An off-duty Hinds County deputy, along with a neighbor witnessed the shooting take place at Percy King’s residence. The deputy acted immediately and detained Jamarrio Bell at the scene.
Bell was found guilty on both counts of First-Degree Murder and will be spending two life sentences in prison under the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections. “This senseless act of violence devastated two families and shocked our entire community,” said District Attorney Jody E. Owens, II. “Percy King was a mentor and educator whose love for animals and people touched many lives. Jarvis Birtfield was a young man with his entire future ahead of him. Our office remains committed to seeking justice for victims and ensuring that violent offenders are held accountable."
7 comments:
Over 7 and a half years ago now. The Hinds County wheels of justice don't turn very swiftly, but I guess we're lucky they're moving at all on this one.
Why do the wheels of Justice take so long to turn?
FYI, as I understand it, the Defendant alleged insanity as a defense. The delay was two fold, and no fault of the county or the state. First, two years were essentially lost to COVID because very few trials could be held during the height of the COVID pandemic. Second, because he alleged he was insane at the time of the offense, he had to have multiple mental exams (which are a time consuming process and are expensive) to make sure he was competent to stand trial and to determine if he was competent at the time of the offense. Finally, the protections required by due process usually make a “normal” murder prosecution take 2-3 years.
Because the DA position in Hinds is a "part-time job."
There are not enough public defenders and everyone is entitled to a defense. There is one District attorney with 12 assistant district attorneys in the Hinds County prosecutor's office (but only 6 are listed probably because you can't be " competent counsel" the day you get out of law school. Those lawyers don't make as much jobs as they can in private practice on day one if you were at the top of your class or made law review. In less populated counties there are fewer. There are only two courts that hear serious felony and civil cases and the other deal with misdemeanors or civil conflict between individual plaintiffs. You also have to seat jurors for every case and how many of you willingly serve? I served each time called until I became physically unable but many of those who show up do get challenged for legitimate reasons. That's why I know every jury I served on in 3 states tried very hard to reach a legally sound and honest decision and only one time in a small civil dispute with only 6 jurors and one who refused to rule for a person of color against a white person was there a problem. Worse, the black person was a female and the guy who hit her car was male. Neither had insurance (it was before 2001), The case was clear that the white person was responsible for the damages ( her care was parked), but after a week of trying to reason with the him and appeal to his conscience, he didn't budge and civil cases have no alternate jurors to seat. The jury verdict should have taken only minutes and the judge wouldn't /couldn't replace the jerk and notes to the judge he wouldn't budge and used the N word every day all day. But, the rest of us were willing to fight every day, all day for a solid week of trying to convince this one racist jerk who owned was retired to do the right thing. The other male juror was pretty close to beating the shit out of the jerk and wipe the smirk off his face and we didn't want the good guy to go to jail so the women pulled him off. That is the only time in decades that justice wasn't served. But, if there's a Hell , the guilty and the dishonest juror are burning. I know I prayed daily for years for God to punish him and I know one other on that jury did as well.
Why did he murder them?
The delay was finding of incompetence to stand trial. Treated, restored, tried.
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