In the late summer of 2016, the disappearance of Cort Gatlin, a 29-year-old male from Summit, Mississippi, marked the beginning of a grim and unsettling story. Gatlin was reported missing on August 26, 2016, which was also his birthday. The search for him came to a tragic end on September 1, 2016, when his body was discovered in the Bogue Chitto River, south of Alford's Bridge.
The condition in which he was found painted a horrific picture of his final moments; he had been shot three times in the head, his hands and legs were bound, his mouth was covered with duct tape, and his body showed signs of being burned.
The investigation into the brutal slaying of Gatlin quickly led law enforcement to two McComb residents, 25-year-old Anthony J. Dauden and 26-year-old Bridget A. Dillon. They were arrested and subsequently charged with murder and conspiracy to commit murder. Investigators believed they were involved from the outset of the crime. According to reports, Dauden confessed to authorities, providing details of the heinous act. His confession implicated others, revealing a wider conspiracy that ultimately involved five individuals.
The details that emerged during legal proceedings were disturbing. The prosecution laid out a sequence of events where Gatlin was beaten, bound, and then forced into the trunk of a car. He was then driven to Alford's Bridge, where he was shot three times in the neck area. In a significant development in the case, Bridget Dillon pleaded guilty to reduced charges of second-degree murder and conspiracy. As a result of her plea, she was sentenced to serve 25 years in prison for her role in the killing that ended the life of Cort Gatlin. The case against the other individuals charged continued to move through the court system, with a judge ordering their cases to be bound over to a grand jury.
