Jackson Jambalaya

Kingfish note: Frank Melton alumnus

 

Hinds County District Attorney Brad McCullouch

Hinds County District Attorney Brad McCullouch announced that 18-year-old Jermaine Benfield and his brother, 21-year-old Jeremares Bracey, pled guilty to Manslaughter and Shooting into a Vehicle in connection with the December 9, 2024, shooting death of Delveon Russell.

Russel was with friends at the Jubilee gas station on West Northside Drive when shots were fired from a black Ford Flex. Store surveillance footage showed a passenger exit the vehicle and continue firing toward the gas station, striking Russell.

Flock camera footage helped investigators identify the vehicle’s license plate. When detectives contacted the owner, Benfield’s mother, she told them he had the vehicle that night. Each defendant was sentenced to 20 years to serve for Manslaughter and five years to serve for Shooting into a Vehicle. The sentences will run consecutively, for a total of 25 years to serve for each defendant. Brianna Keeler and Seqouia Smith prosecuted the case for the State.

“A trip to the gas station should not end in a family losing someone they love,” said District Attorney Brad McCullouch. “Delveon Russell’s family will carry that loss long after this case is over. These sentences hold both defendants accountable for the harm they caused.”

Oxford Police Department 

The Oxford Police Department is aware of a social media post concerning an interaction between a young woman and our officers in downtown Oxford this past weekend. Because the post has received significant attention and contains several statements regarding the actions of our officers, we believe it is important to provide factual information.

First and foremost, we take any allegation involving a suspected drug-facilitated assault, drink tampering, or sexual assault seriously. Anyone who believes they may have been victimized is encouraged to contact law enforcement so that we can investigate, preserve available evidence, and connect that person with appropriate resources.

OPD has been reviewing the incident, including available body-worn camera footage and city camera footage. Based upon our review to this point:

When officers encountered the individual, she did not report that her drink had been tampered with, that she had been assaulted, or that a crime had occurred. Officers asked if she was okay, and she indicated that she was and that she was intoxicated. Our officers remained with her throughout the encounter. They provided her with water, spoke with her, communicated with a family member, helped arrange transportation, and remained with her until that transportation arrived.

The available video does not support the statement that she was abandoned or left alone by our officers.

Before she departed, she was able to communicate where she needed to go, and officers worked to ensure she had transportation to a safe location. She was not placed into an empty vehicle by herself; a middle-aged couple was also present, and the female rideshare driver was in communication with her family during the process.

The available footage also does not support the characterization that officers treated the situation as a joke. The officers can be seen attempting to assist her, checking on her welfare, providing water, communicating with her family, and working to get her safely home.

Our standard when encountering an intoxicated person is straightforward: determine whether there is an immediate medical or safety concern and, when appropriate, help that person reach a safe location. Based on the information available to the officers at that time, that is what they attempted to do.

In this case, the video evidence provides an objective record of the officers’ interaction with this individual, and that record does not support the statements being made regarding their conduct.

On Monday, September 21, the reporting party filed a police report with us. We began investigating based on the information provided. We are continuing to review available video in an effort to establish her movements prior to the officers’ encounter and determine what additional information exists. Our investigators are also in contact with her.

Our investigation into the circumstances surrounding this incident remains ongoing. We will continue to follow the evidence, investigate all concerns, and provide our community with the facts.

We also want to address the broader concern regarding reports of drinks being tampered with in Oxford. OPD investigates reports of suspected drink tampering when they are made to us. At this time, we do not have evidence supporting claims that women are routinely being drugged in Oxford every weekend or every day. However, every individual report will be taken seriously and investigated based upon the available evidence.

We understand why allegations involving the safety of young people create fear and concern, particularly for students and their families. If you have information regarding these types of incidents or any others, please contact us at 662-232-2400.

 Rankin-Madison District Attorney Bubba Bramlett (MDOC Employees)

Madison and Rankin Counties’ District Attorney John K. Bramlett, Jr., announced today that 30-year-old Somalia Moneisha Funchess of Magee, Mississippi, and 26-year-old Aaliyah Keyonna Reid of Carthage, Mississippi, were each sentenced to serve thirty (30) years in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections (MDOC).

The State resolved both cases without trial after the former MDOC correctional officers pleaded guilty. Funchess pleaded guilty to Possession with Intent to Transfer ten (10) grams or more but less than thirty (30) grams of Methamphetamine. Reid pleaded guilty to Possession with Intent to Transfer ten (10) grams or more but less than thirty (30) grams of MDMB-4en-PINACA.

On September 14, 2024, then-MDOC correctional officers Funchess and Reid conspired to introduce a substantial quantity of illegal drugs and other contraband into the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility. According to investigators with the MDOC Corrections Investigation Division (CID), Reid and Funchess concealed drugs and carried them into the facility. Reid placed the drugs into a trash bag and delivered it to a MDOC inmate. Correctional officials intercepted the trash bag, which contained a large quantity of suspected controlled substances.

Testing by Mississippi Forensics Laboratory identified the substances as methamphetamine and MDMB-4en-PINACA, a Schedule I controlled substance and synthetic cannabinoid commonly referred to as “Spice.”

Funchess admitted that she was paid $500, while Reid admitted that she was paid $400 to bring contraband into the facility.

“Contraband and related criminal activity threaten the security of our facilities, undermine rehabilitation, and hinder successful reentry,” said MDOC Corrections Investigation Division Director Steven Maxwell. “Through strong partnerships with law enforcement agencies and prosecutors, CID will continue to identify, investigate, and hold accountable those who compromise the safety and integrity of Mississippi’s correctional system.”

District Attorney Bramlett stated, “For a few hundred dollars, these two correctional officers used positions of trust to bring dangerous drugs behind prison walls. These were not harmless substances. Methamphetamine and Spice can cause serious injury and death, and their actions threatened the safety and security of inmates and correctional officers alike. I commend the MDOC officers and MDOC Corrections Investigation Division for their outstanding work in uncovering this conduct and building the case that allowed us to hold these guards accountable for abusing their positions for profit.”