Jazken Green, a 26-year-old Black man from Verona, Mississippi, was fatally shot on March 22, 2018, at a car wash in his hometown. He succumbed to his injuries the following day, on March 23, 2018, at the North Mississippi Medical Center in Tupelo. The investigation into Green's death quickly centered on Latavious Betts as the primary suspect. Another man, 27-year-old Jarnavis Chandler, was also sought by Verona Police and the U.S.
Marshals in connection with the fatal shooting and was considered armed and dangerous.
In the aftermath of the shooting, the legal proceedings surrounding Betts proved to be contentious. In April 2018, he was released on a $50,000 personal recognizance bond. This decision drew criticism, particularly after Betts was implicated in subsequent violent acts. In July of the same year, he faced charges of aggravated assault for a shooting at a convenience store in Verona that resulted in two people being injured. Despite this, Betts was again released on bail.
The situation escalated dramatically on December 7, 2018, when Betts was involved in a deadly drive-by shooting that claimed the life of a 66-year-old grandmother, Annie Walton, and injured four others. This tragic event led to Walton's family announcing their intention to sue the city of Verona and its police chief. They alleged that Betts had been released from jail illegally and should have been incarcerated at the time of the shooting. Further controversy arose from the fact that an arrest warrant for Betts in connection with Green's murder, issued in October 2018, had not been served.
