In the winter of 2016, the town of Bruce, Mississippi, was rocked by a violent crime that cut short the life of 31-year-old James Sinclair Pratt. On the evening of February 18th, Pratt was discovered in the parking lot of the Bait Shop, having been shot multiple times in the chest. First responders found him slumped over the steering wheel of his vehicle, with shell casings scattered around the car.
The investigation into Pratt's death moved swiftly as law enforcement utilized security
camera footage from local businesses to identify potential suspects. This evidence led them to JaShon Coleman and Breanna Westmoreland. Coleman was subsequently charged with murder, while Westmoreland faced charges as an accessory for allegedly driving the getaway vehicle. Coleman was held on a $1,000,000 bail awaiting his initial court appearance. News of the arrests brought a sense of cautious relief to a community shaken by the brutal slaying.
