In the quiet community of Union, Mississippi, the tranquility was shattered on March 27, 2015, by an act of violence that claimed the lives of a father and son. Gilbert A. Woodis, a 57-year-old male, and his 32-year-old son, Brandon Lee Woodis, were found deceased in their home in the County Line community. The cause of their deaths was determined to be a result of a shooting.
The investigation into the double homicide quickly led law enforcement to a person of interest who was close to
the family. Billy Jerald McLain, a 31-year-old from Crystal Springs, was identified as the suspect. McLain was described as a longtime family friend who had previously been employed by Gilbert Woodis and had been living in the Woodis home for a couple of weeks prior to the incident. The relationship between McLain and the Woodis family, once built on trust and friendship, had taken a tragic and unforeseen turn.
The events leading to the discovery of the victims began to unfold when a relative of McLain, residing in Oklahoma, contacted the Neshoba County Sheriff's Department with alarming information. The relative reported receiving a call from McLain in which he confessed to killing two people. This crucial tip provided investigators with their first lead in the case. Following this information, McLain was apprehended by the Jackson Police Department on the evening of the murders. Prior to his arrest, he had abandoned his vehicle on a dirt road in Simpson County.
Following his arrest, Billy Jerald McLain was charged with two counts of murder for the deaths of Gilbert and Brandon Woodis. He was also charged with being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. During the initial court proceedings, McLain was denied bond on the murder charges. According to the Neshoba County Sheriff, the motive for the killings appeared to stem from McLain becoming paranoid and flying into a rage, which culminated in the fatal shootings. In September 2015, a Neshoba County grand jury indicted McLain on both murder charges, moving the case forward for trial.
