In the early morning hours of November 27, 2018, the life of 44-year-old Tomaka Jones was tragically cut short in his Hattiesburg, Mississippi, apartment. Police responded to a disturbance call at the Plantation Place Apartments on Oak Street shortly after 1 a.m. Inside, they discovered Jones deceased and a woman who was transported for medical attention.
The initial investigation led authorities to take five individuals into custody for questioning and to search for an orange passenger vehicle seen at the complex.
The investigation revealed a plot to commit armed robbery that ultimately led to Jones's death. He died from two lethal gunshot wounds. Court records show that Tykevious Durr, along with two other individuals identified as Snell and Hinton, went to the residence with the intent to rob Jones. During the course of the robbery, Jones was shot and killed. His girlfriend, Marlena Owens, was also present and was the victim of armed robbery and aggravated assault.
In September 2020, a Forrest County grand jury indicted Tykevious Durr on charges of conspiracy to commit armed robbery, the capital murder of Tomaka Jones, armed robbery of Marlena Owens, and aggravated assault of Marlena Owens. Following a trial in June 2021, Durr was convicted on all four counts. He was subsequently sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the capital murder charge, with additional consecutive sentences for the other charges. Another individual, Rachel Jones, was also arrested and charged with one count of conspiracy to commit armed robbery in connection with the incident.
