Rankin County man found guilty of murdering missing Picayune man

PEARL RIVER COUNTY, Miss. (WLOX) - A Rankin County man was found guilty of murder Wednesday.

Austin Brookshire was on trial this week for his role in the death of Willie “Chill” Jones in Pearl River County in 2020.

Jones was first reported to the Picayune Police Department as missing on July 6, 2020. After investigation, it was found that Jones was murdered in Pearl River County in the early morning hours of that same day. The Pearl River County Sheriff’s Department then took over the case and went on to arrest Brookshire and charge him for the murder of Jones.

“I would like to thank the Pearl Rover County Sheriff’s Department and the Picayune Police Department for their hard work that led to this defendant being brought to justice,” said Kittrell.

Brookshire’s sentencing will be held in Lamar County on July 24.

Dustin Gray, accused of the same crime, is scheduled to begin his trial on June 13.

Click here to subscribe to WLOX News on YouTube: Keep up with South Mississippi news, sports, and local events on our YouTube channel!