Shelia May Burage was a 46-year-old Black/African American woman residing in Bogue Chitto, Mississippi, where she lived with her husband. On the night of May 27, 2017, a domestic dispute involving an acquaintance of the family spiraled into a violent rampage that spanned multiple locations across Lincoln County. Shelia and her husband were at their home on East Lincoln Road when the gunman, seeking individuals connected to his estranged wife and her family, targeted their residence as the final stop in an hours-long shooting spree.
As the intruder arrived at the Burage property, Shelia was reportedly on the telephone with a friend. The caller on the other end heard the terrifying sounds of a door being kicked in followed by gunshots before the line went dead. The assailant had forced his way into the house and engaged in a firefight with Shelia’s husband, Ferral Burage, who managed to wound the attacker before being fatally shot. The gunman then proceeded to the bathroom where Shelia had sought refuge and shot her, ending her life.
Law enforcement officers responding to the scene found the suspect, Willie Cory Godbolt, a short distance from the Burage home. He was walking near the road, bleeding from a gunshot wound to his arm sustained during the confrontation with Shelia’s husband. Godbolt surrendered to the deputies, reportedly confessing to the killings at the scene and expressing a desire to have been killed by police. He was taken into custody and treated for his injuries before being formally charged with a multitude of crimes related to the deaths of eight individuals that night, including Shelia and Ferral Burage, as well as a sheriff's deputy and several of Godbolt's own relatives.
The legal proceedings against Willie Cory Godbolt concluded in February 2020. A jury in Pike County found him guilty on all counts, including four counts of capital murder, four counts of first-degree murder, kidnapping, and attempted murder. During the sentencing phase, the jury unanimously decided that Godbolt should face the ultimate punishment for his actions. He was sentenced to death for the capital murder convictions, including the murder of Shelia May Burage, ensuring he would remain on death row for the remainder of his life.
