On the evening of November 16, 2021, tragedy struck in the town of Wiggins, Mississippi, ending the life of 19-year-old Jacoby Lebbaeus Bolton. Around 6:30 p.m., Wiggins police were called to Hope Avenue, where they discovered the young man's body in the roadway. He had been shot three times and was pronounced dead at the scene. Friends and family remembered the Perry Central High School attendee as goofy, humble, and kind.
The investigation into the death of the male victim initially
faced challenges due to a lack of cooperation from residents in the area. Despite the initial silence, law enforcement officers were able to identify a suspect present at the time of the shooting who was known to possess a firearm. The individual was identified as Jermaine Mayers, also known by the nickname “Bang,” from Gulfport. Investigators later interviewed Mayers, who was already in custody in Harrison County on other matters.
During questioning, Jermaine Mayers admitted to shooting Jacoby Bolton. He claimed to investigators that he fired his weapon because he believed Bolton was armed. Following his confession, Mayers pleaded guilty to a charge of manslaughter. For the death of Bolton, the judge sentenced him to the maximum of 20 years in prison. This sentence was ordered to be served consecutively with a sentence for a separate, unrelated drive-by shooting in Gulfport that had occurred on April 24, 2021. In total, the 21-year-old was sentenced to serve 40 years in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections, ensuring accountability for the violent acts that devastated families and endangered the community.
