In the late hours of a Friday evening in Natchez, Mississippi, the life of 19-year-old Travione Jones was cut short by a burst of gunfire. On May 5, 2023, at approximately 10:30 p.m., Jones, along with another 19-year-old named Devon Winchester, was fatally shot in the bustling parking lot of a strip mall situated behind a Popeye's restaurant on D'Evereux Drive.
The two young men had just stepped out of a vehicle when they were ambushed by assailants who opened fire from near the Cash Savers supermarket. The attack was sudden and brutal, with dozens of rounds fired from what investigators believe to be assault-style weapons. The hail of bullets not only claimed the lives of Jones and Winchester but also left three other individuals wounded.
The immediate aftermath of the shooting saw a significant police presence, with both the Natchez Police Department and the Adams County Sheriff's Office responding to the chaotic scene. A large crowd gathered as investigators began the grim task of piecing together the events of that night. The motive behind the violent act was soon attributed to an ongoing feud, a recurring issue of retaliatory violence that had plagued the community for several years. More than 30 spent shell casings were recovered from the scene, a testament to the intensity of the assault.
In the days and weeks that followed, law enforcement made a series of arrests in connection with the double homicide. On May 9, 2023, Natchez residents Kadeem Rykeim Conner, 25, and Mark Jordan Mitchell, 32, were taken into custody. Both men were charged with two counts of murder and three counts of attempted murder. The investigation continued to yield results, and on June 14, 28-year-old Douglas Mazique was arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit murder. A fourth suspect, 27-year-old Tywone Marquise Noble, was apprehended on July 12 and faced a similar conspiracy charge.
A fifth individual, 22-year-old Jamionte Davis, was also identified as a suspect in the murders. A warrant was issued for his arrest, and he was declared Natchez's 'most wanted' by the police department. Davis, who was also wanted on a separate indictment for aggravated assault by the Adams County Sheriff's Office, was believed to have fled the state to evade capture. A reward was offered for information leading to his arrest. As the legal process began for those in custody, one of the accused, Kadeem Conner, was released on a $300,000 bond in November 2024, after being held without an indictment for an extended period. The cases against the other suspects remained pending as the investigation continued.
