On a summer evening in Natchez, Mississippi, tragedy struck a 20-year-old male named Jamarius T. Jackson. On June 19, 2015, at approximately 10 p.m., gunshots rang out at the Holiday Apartments. Jackson was struck by two bullets, one in his lower hip and another in his back. He was rushed to Merit Health Natchez but ultimately succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead on June 20, 2015.
The immediate investigation by the Natchez Police Department suggested the incident may have been a drive-by shooting. Witnesses reported seeing a car pass by as the shots were fired. As detectives delved deeper, they uncovered that an altercation had taken place at the apartment complex just before the fatal shooting, involving a group of young men and a family. It was believed that a prior disagreement between Jackson and the individuals in the car may have escalated to this violent conclusion.
In the months that followed, the investigation led to the arrests of two brothers, 19-year-old Lee Raymond Smith Jr. and 23-year-old Antonio K. Clay. Both were charged in connection with Jackson's murder. Smith was indicted on a charge of murder and was subsequently released on a $300,000 bond. Clay faced charges of murder and a probation violation and was held without bond at the Adams County Jail. A key piece of evidence that linked the suspects to the crime was the vehicle they allegedly used, which had been borrowed and was identified by dents left from bullets Jackson reportedly fired in an attempt to defend himself.
