In the small town of Coffeeville, Mississippi, the life of 36-year-old Chauncey Armstrong was tragically cut short on the afternoon of Thursday, March 30, 2023. Armstrong was gunned down in the middle of Kennedy Street, a violent end to a life that was known and rooted in the community. The brazen nature of the daylight shooting sent shockwaves through the quiet streets of Coffeeville.
The investigation into Armstrong's death moved swiftly, thanks in part to tips from the public.
This community cooperation proved crucial for the Coffeeville Police Department and the Yalobusha County Sheriff's Department. Within a short period, authorities were able to identify three suspects in connection with the fatal shooting. The individuals identified were two brothers, Zavion and Lakedrick Spearman, and their cousin, Anthony Spearman.
The arrests of the three men unfolded over the course of the day and night following the shooting. Zavion Spearman was the first to be taken into custody, turning himself in to the Coffeeville Police on Thursday night. His cousin, Anthony Spearman, was apprehended at a convenience store on Highway 7, just south of Oxford, that same evening. The final suspect, Lakedrick Spearman, was arrested following a traffic stop on West Jackson Avenue in Oxford in the early hours of Friday morning. All three men were subsequently charged with first-degree murder in the death of Chauncey Armstrong. Law enforcement officials noted that they had previous encounters with Anthony Spearman, and the investigation into the shooting remains ongoing.
