In the small community of Vaughan, Mississippi, a tragic event unfolded on September 1, 2024, claiming the life of 53-year-old Mary Lee Simmons. Simmons was one of three victims in a fatal shooting that also took the lives of her 38-year-old son, Benny Terrell Simmons, and 58-year-old Jerry Stewart. The incident, which is believed to have stemmed from a family altercation, sent shockwaves through the quiet Yazoo County community.
Emergency services were called to a residence on Walker
Road at approximately 9:38 p.m., where they discovered the three individuals, all of whom had sustained fatal gunshot wounds. The circumstances leading up to the shooting remain unclear, as law enforcement has not released specific details about the nature of the dispute. The investigation into the triple homicide was immediately launched by the Yazoo County Sheriff's Office.
As of late 2025, the investigation into the deaths of Mary Simmons, her son, and Jerry Stewart remains ongoing. Authorities have not publicly identified any suspects in the case, and no arrests have been made. The community has been left to mourn the sudden and violent loss of three of its members, waiting for answers and the justice that a resolution to the case might bring. The family and friends of Mary Simmons remembered her and her son in a joint funeral service held on September 14, 2024, at Yazoo County High School.
