Tempess Lashelle Spivey, a 33-year-old woman, was found dead in Indianola, Mississippi, on the morning of July 30, 2026, in what authorities investigated as a fatal shooting. Although early reports described the victim only as an Arkansas woman who had recently come to Indianola, later online sources identified her as Spivey and linked her death to gun violence. Sunflower County Coroner Heather Burton said she was dispatched at about 8:00 a.m. to the 800 block of Hannah Street, where Spivey was found deceased with what was described as an apparent gunshot wound. The location was near Carver Elementary School.
Spivey was not primarily living in Indianola at the time. Information provided by her family said she lived in Stuttgart, Arkansas, and had traveled to Indianola to connect with her father. Her siblings described her as kind, loving and sweet, with interests in singing and writing poetry. Her death came during an already difficult period for the family: according to the family's fundraising account, their mother, Tammie Spivey, had died on May 6, 2026, less than three months before Tempess was killed. After Tempess's death, her siblings began raising money to transport her remains from Mississippi to Little Rock, Arkansas, for funeral and burial arrangements.
In the immediate aftermath of the discovery, Indianola authorities released few details. A July 31 report said local law enforcement was investigating a body discovered at a residence in the 800 block of Hannah Street. At that stage, neither the Indianola Police Department nor the Sunflower County Coroner's Office had publicly identified the victim, and authorities had not announced a suspect or a motive. The circumstances surrounding the shooting, including what happened before Spivey was shot and why she was targeted, remained under investigation.
The investigation soon led authorities to Timothy Wayne Spivey, an Indianola resident. Indianola Police Chief Ronald Sampson confirmed that Timothy Wayne Spivey was charged with first-degree murder in connection with the Hannah Street homicide. Authorities located him across state lines in Monroe, Louisiana, and he was taken into custody at approximately 8:00 a.m. on August 6 in the 5900 block of DeSiard Street during a joint law-enforcement operation involving Monroe authorities and federal assistance. Available reporting does not establish the precise relationship, if any, between Tempess and Timothy beyond their shared surname, so no familial connection can be stated as fact from the available sources.
Louisiana booking records identify Timothy Wayne Spivey as an Indianola resident and show that he was booked through the Monroe Police Department on August 6. The Ouachita Parish Sheriff's Office listed him as being held at the Ouachita Correctional Center on a fugitive-from-justice charge, with no bond or bail amount shown. The record reflects court-related dates on August 7 and August 10 and lists another proceeding for September 8, 2026. As of the most recently available booking information, he remained in Louisiana custody while the Mississippi murder case proceeded through the process necessary to return him to the jurisdiction where he is accused of committing the homicide.
No reliable online source located as of August 11, 2026, described a second suspect, announced additional arrests, or provided a detailed account of a motive or the events immediately preceding the shooting. Likewise, there is not yet a reported trial, conviction or sentence in Spivey's killing. Timothy Wayne Spivey is accused of first-degree murder, but that charge remains an allegation unless and until it is proven in court. The case therefore stands as an active homicide prosecution arising from the discovery of Tempess Spivey's body on Hannah Street, followed one week later by the apprehension of the accused man in Louisiana.
