Stephen Matory, a 24-year-old male Sergeant in the Mississippi National Guard, was tragically shot and killed in Jackson, Mississippi, on a Thursday morning in June 2020. Matory was at the Summer Park Apartments when the fatal shooting occurred. According to Jackson police, he was an innocent bystander caught in the crossfire. The Mississippi National Guard expressed their devastation over his death, with Lt. Col. Deidre D.
Smith describing him as 'a rising star in our ranks' and 'a soldier's soldier.'
Born on August 15, 1995, in Memphis, Tennessee, Stephen L. Matory was a dedicated individual who had made a full-time career in the military after attending Holmes Community College and Jackson State University. He served as a Human Resource Specialist/Transportation Management Coordinator with the 2nd Battalion, 20th Special Forces Group in Jackson, where he had earned the rank of Sergeant. His service was decorated with numerous awards, including the Meritorious Service Medal and the Army Achievement Medal. Those who knew him remembered his enjoyment of physical training, reading, bowling, and spending time with his family and friends, always aiming to make others smile.
In the days following the shooting, the Jackson Police Department made two arrests in connection with the homicide. Nineteen-year-old XaJavier King was taken into custody and charged with murder and aggravated assault. Shortly after, eighteen-year-old Chaela Edwards was also arrested and charged with being an accessory after the fact to murder.
Publicly available information details the initial arrests and charges brought against King and Edwards. However, the final disposition of their cases, including details of any trials, convictions, or sentencing, is not readily available in the online sources covering the incident. The narrative of the legal aftermath and the ultimate judicial resolution for the accused individuals remains largely unreported in the public domain.
