In the early morning hours of Sunday, May 1, 2022, the quiet of the Hopewell community in Alcorn County, Mississippi, was broken by a grim discovery. A motorist traveling along County Road 182 stumbled upon a scene that would soon launch a homicide investigation. The body of 22-year-old Quantavis T. Fernando, a Black male from Corinth, was found lying in the roadway, the victim of a fatal gunshot wound. The Alcorn County Sheriff's Office was alerted to the discovery at approximately 4:15 a.m. and immediately began an investigation into the apparent homicide.
Deputies and investigators arriving at the scene determined that the crime had likely occurred between 1:00 a.m. and 4:00 a.m. As they processed the area for evidence, a call for public assistance was made, urging anyone who might have seen or heard anything unusual during those early hours to come forward. The initial stages of the investigation focused on piecing together the events that led to Fernando's death and identifying those responsible for the violent act that left a young man dead on a rural county road.
The investigation quickly gained momentum, and within a day, authorities had a potential suspect. On Monday, May 2, 2022, investigators with the Alcorn County Sheriff's Office received information that pointed them toward an individual. Evidence was gathered that linked this person not only to Quantavis Fernando but also to the crime scene itself. As investigators were preparing to secure an arrest warrant, they learned that their suspect was already in custody on unrelated charges.
Courtland Alexander Bradley, a 25-year-old from New Albany, Mississippi, was identified as the suspect and was being held at the Union County Jail. A hold was placed on Bradley, and with the cooperation of the Union County and Marshall County Sheriff's Offices, investigators were also able to locate a vehicle, a 2013 black Volkswagen Jetta, believed to have been used during the commission of the murder. A search of the vehicle on Tuesday, May 3, 2022, yielded further evidence connecting it to the crime. Bradley was subsequently transported to the Alcorn County Jail and charged with murder and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He also had a hold for the Mississippi Department of Corrections. The investigation remained ongoing, with the possibility of additional charges or arrests.
