In the quiet town of Brookhaven, Mississippi, the life of John Ashley Bennett, a 42-year-old male chef, was tragically cut short. On April 21, 2018, he was found deceased in his home on Smith Lake Road by his mother. An initial investigation by the Brookhaven Police Department revealed that Bennett had sustained gunshot wounds that were deemed suspicious, immediately launching a homicide investigation.
The day following the discovery of Bennett's body, authorities arrested a suspect,
40-year-old Jesse Scott Smith. It was later revealed that Smith was an acquaintance of Bennett and had been seen with him on the night before his death. Smith was subsequently charged with first-degree murder in connection with Bennett's shooting.
The legal proceedings that followed saw multiple delays and a change of venue to Walthall County. Jesse Scott Smith entered a plea of not guilty. After a two-day trial in July 2021, a jury found him guilty of first-degree murder. The court sentenced Smith to life in prison. In addition to his life sentence, Smith was ordered to pay a $10,000 fine and $7,500 in restitution for funeral expenses. An appeal of the conviction was later denied by the Mississippi Court of Appeals in December 2022.
