Helen Ruth Stewart, a 70-year-old White woman from Meridian, Mississippi, was remembered by her family as a beloved wife, sister, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. A person of deep faith, she was described as a dedicated prayer warrior who was a faithful servant to the Lord. She and her husband, Joseph Stewart, had been married for 50 years.
On the afternoon of Tuesday, August 13, 2024, the quiet of a neighborhood in Lauderdale County was broken by a call to emergency services. At 12:34 p.m., dispatch received a call from Joseph Stewart from a home on the 9000 block of Blizzard Road. He reported that a woman had been shot. When deputies and paramedics arrived, they found Helen Stewart suffering from a gunshot wound. She was rushed to a local hospital for treatment but succumbed to her injuries shortly after her arrival.
At the scene of the shooting, law enforcement officers took Joseph Stewart into custody.
He was initially charged with aggravated assault while his wife was still in critical condition. After Mrs. Stewart passed away, investigators consulted with the District Attorney's office, and the charge against her husband was upgraded to murder.
Joseph Stewart was taken to the Lauderdale County Detention Facility. A judge set his bond at $50,000, and records show he was released after posting bond on August 15, 2024. Authorities stated that the investigation was ongoing and that evidence would be presented to a grand jury for consideration. As of August 2024, the case against him was pending litigation.
