On the night of December 30, 2021, the quiet of the Country Manor Apartments in Sidon, Mississippi, was shattered by the sound of gunfire. When Leflore County deputies arrived, they discovered the body of 24-year-old John Arias Brown. He had been fatally shot, with multiple shell casings found near his body, a stark testament to the violence that had unfolded.
The community was left in shock, and a swift investigation was launched to bring those responsible to justice.
Investigators worked diligently, and their efforts quickly identified four local men as suspects in the murder and conspiracy to kill Brown. The day after the shooting, two arrests were made: 18-year-old Jamari Granderson and 22-year-old Degray Leach. Evidence gathered at the scene and witness statements had pointed to their involvement. Shortly thereafter, two brothers, 19-year-old Jakeldris Hunt and 21-year-old Kadeaderick Hunt, were also taken into custody and charged with murder.
As the case moved through the legal system, three of the four men entered guilty pleas. On August 4, 2025, Jamari Granderson pleaded guilty to Second Degree Murder and Conspiracy to Commit Murder. He was sentenced to thirty years in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections, with twenty-five of those years to be served. On the same day, Degray Leach pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Murder and Accessory After the Fact.
Later, on October 13, 2025, Jakeldris Hunt also pleaded guilty to Second Degree Murder and Conspiracy to Commit Murder. His sentence mirrored Granderson's: thirty years with twenty-five to serve. The fourth defendant, Kadeaderick Hunt, is still awaiting trial for his alleged role in the death of John Brown.
