On a Sunday morning in May 2020, the community of Sunflower, Mississippi, was shaken by the discovery of a young mother's death. Constance Russell, a 30-year-old female, was found unresponsive in her apartment at the Sunflower River apartment complex. Police had been called to the residence around 8:10 a.m. after a neighbor noticed broken glass in her front door. Upon arrival, officers found Ms.
Russell with a gunshot wound.
The county coroner estimated the time of death to be between 3:30 a.m. and 5 a.m. Investigators found a bullet hole in the front door, and it appeared the assailant had fled through a back bedroom window. Despite the gunshot, a neighbor living right next door reported hearing nothing. Evidence collected at the scene included a 9 mm shell casing and an unknown bullet fragment.
Shortly after the investigation began, authorities identified a person of interest, 27-year-old Albert Carpenter III. Carpenter, who was reported to be Ms. Russell's onetime boyfriend and the father of their six-month-old child, was taken into custody. He initially told police he had been home since 1:47 a.m. and had not left. However, as the investigation progressed, evidence led directly to him.
A few days later, Albert Carpenter III was officially charged with first-degree murder, domestic violence, and breaking and entering in connection with Constance Russell's death. A judge set his bond at $1 million, and he was held in the Sunflower County jail. The community mourned the loss of Ms. Russell, who was remembered as a loving mother of two.
