In the quiet early morning hours of June 19, 1988, the West Carroll Parish Jail was the scene of a violent and tragic event that ended the life of a young deputy. Jeffery Mark Gathings, a 23-year-old male deputy sheriff, was on duty as the dispatcher when a former inmate, Frank Bancroft, arrived under the pretense of a friendly visit. In reality, Bancroft was there to orchestrate the escape of two incarcerated brothers, Sonny James Caston and Frank Caston.
The brothers and Bancroft had previously discussed plans to break out of the facility.
The escape plan turned deadly when Bancroft, armed with a shotgun he had stolen from his stepfather, entered the jail. He confronted Deputy Gathings and, without hesitation, shot him in the face at close range, causing his instantaneous death. Following the brutal slaying, Bancroft proceeded to free the Caston brothers from their cell. The trio then fled the jail, initiating a manhunt for their capture. Their freedom was short-lived, however, as law enforcement apprehended them near Lake Providence, Louisiana.
The ensuing legal proceedings brought the full weight of the justice system down on the three men. A grand jury indicted all three on charges of first-degree murder. Frank Bancroft, the man who pulled the trigger, and Frank Caston were both tried and found guilty of first-degree murder. For his role in the crime, Sonny James Caston was ultimately convicted of second-degree murder. All three men were sentenced to life in prison for their parts in the deadly jailbreak that cut short the life of Deputy Sheriff Jeffery Mark Gathings.
