On the afternoon of August 31, 2017, a grim discovery was made near the eight-mile marker on Interstate 59 South in Picayune, Mississippi. Seventy-three-year-old August Pradillo, a White male from the nearby community of Carriere, was found lying in the grass beside the road. Picayune Police officers were dispatched to the scene at 4:26 p.m. following a call about the unresponsive man. Upon their arrival, they found bystanders attempting to perform CPR on Pradillo.
Emergency medical personnel quickly took over the life-saving efforts, but by 4:45 p.m., it was apparent that Pradillo showed no signs of life. The Pearl River County Coroner, Derek Turnage, was subsequently notified and pronounced him deceased at the scene. An investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death revealed that Pradillo had walked from his residence in the Hide-A-Way Lake community through a wooded area to the interstate.
The coroner's investigation determined that August Pradillo's death was the result of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. A small caliber revolver was recovered at the location where his body was found. Authorities concluded that there was no foul play involved in the tragic incident. Consequently, the case was ruled a suicide, and no arrests were made, nor were any suspects identified or sought in connection with his death.
