On New Year's Day in State Line, Mississippi, the life of 54-year-old Rhonda Lynette Denson was tragically cut short in a violent armed robbery. A beloved mother and manager of a local gas station, Denson was preparing to open the store with her boyfriend, Lester Campbell, when a masked gunman launched a deadly assault. The assailant fatally shot Campbell outside the entrance and then turned his weapon on a customer, Jason Thornton, who was near the front door.
In a desperate attempt to
save her own life, Denson barricaded herself inside an office within the gas station. However, the gunman forced his way in, dragged her to the front of the store, and compelled her to open the cash register and a safe. After she complied with his demands, he shot her before fleeing the scene with an undisclosed amount of money. The suspect then stole a vehicle from the parking lot, which was later found abandoned a few miles away.
The brutal triple homicide sent shockwaves through the small community, prompting an intensive investigation by the Greene County Sheriff's Office with assistance from state and federal agencies. As law enforcement worked to identify the person responsible, a substantial reward was offered for information leading to an arrest. These efforts culminated in the arrest of 37-year-old Drexler Johnson.
Initially, Johnson was charged with being an accessory after the fact to the murders. However, as the investigation progressed, the charges against him were upgraded to three counts of capital murder. In September 2025, a grand jury indicted Johnson on these charges, along with one count of possession of a weapon by a convicted felon. He is currently being held without bond as he awaits trial for the deaths of Rhonda Denson, Lester Campbell, and Jason Thornton.
