In the small town of Smithville, Mississippi, the quiet life of 63-year-old Jimmy Glen Davis came to a violent and unexpected end. A lifelong resident of Monroe County, Davis was found deceased in his Sizemore Road home on the night of Sunday, January 14, 2024. The grim discovery was made by his own mother, shattering the peace of the rural community.
Initial reports from law enforcement quickly indicated that Davis's death was not of natural causes.
The Monroe County Sheriff's Office launched a homicide investigation, revealing that Davis had been the victim of a deadly shooting. As investigators processed the scene and gathered evidence, an autopsy was ordered by the state medical examiner's office to officially determine the cause of death. The news of a murder in their midst left the tight-knit community in a state of shock and concern.
The investigation swiftly led to a person of interest, and an arrest was made in connection with the killing. Lewis Shaun Cantrell, a 46-year-old man, was taken into custody as the primary suspect in the shooting death of Jimmy Glen Davis. The motive for the crime was not immediately released to the public as the case proceeded through the legal system.
Ultimately, Lewis Shaun Cantrell pleaded guilty to a charge of second-degree murder for his role in the death of Jimmy Glen Davis. On Tuesday, October 14, 2025, a Circuit Court judge sentenced Cantrell to 40 years in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections. As part of the sentencing, 15 years were suspended, leaving Cantrell to serve 25 years without the possibility of early release or parole. The resolution of the case brought a measure of closure to the family of Jimmy Glen Davis and the concerned residents of Smithville.
