In the small community of Ethel, Mississippi, the evening of December 19, 2024, was shattered by violence that ended the life of 42-year-old Leotha Kincaid Ashford. A Black/African American male, Ashford was at the Hannah Heights Apartments when a shooting occurred at approximately 8:40 p.m. He was gravely wounded and rushed to the Baptist Hospital Attala Emergency Department. Despite medical efforts, he was pronounced dead at 10:04 p.m.
The Attala County Coroner arranged for his body to be sent to the Mississippi State Crime Lab to determine the official cause of death through an autopsy. Born on April 18, 1982, Leotha had spent most of his life in Ethel, where he attended school. After a period of employment with Tyson Foods, he became self-employed and enjoyed fishing and hunting in his free time.
In the wake of the fatal shooting, the Attala County Sheriff's Department launched an investigation and soon sought the public's help in locating two individuals they wanted to question. The persons of interest were identified as 46-year-old Timothy James Potts and 23-year-old Brittani Paige Raney, both from the nearby town of McCool, Mississippi. The sheriff's office circulated their images, urging anyone with information on their whereabouts to come forward. The appeal to the community proved fruitful, as tips began to aid the investigation.
The search for the two individuals came to an end just days before Christmas. On December 23, 2024, both Timothy Potts and Brittani Raney were located and taken into custody. Their arrests were the result of a collaborative effort between the Attala County Sheriff's Office and the Kosciusko Police Department, bolstered by crucial information provided by local citizens. Following the arrests, authorities charged Potts with murder in connection with Ashford's death. Raney was charged with accessory after the fact. The investigation into the circumstances that led to the deadly encounter remains ongoing as law enforcement continues to piece together the events of that tragic night.
