In the early morning hours of Sunday, December 7, 2014, in Hamilton, Mississippi, the life of 23-year-old Jonathan Case 'Jon' Furland was tragically cut short. Furland, a native of San Diego, California, had recently moved to Becker, Mississippi, from Rhode Island. He was a painter at Nautic Star Boats and was known for his bold and courageous nature, his big heart, and a sense of humor that could make others laugh.
Those who knew him described him as a good friend and a protector of children.
The events leading to his death unfolded at a home on Elam Lane in Hamilton. At approximately 1:30 a.m., the Monroe County Sheriff's Department received a call about shots being fired at the residence of James M. Hunter. When deputies arrived, they found Jonathan Furland deceased from a gunshot wound. Investigators determined that Furland and Hunter had been involved in an altercation, which ultimately led to the fatal shooting.
Immediately following the incident, James M. Hunter was taken into police custody for questioning. The investigation into the shooting continued, and in October 2016, James Matthew Hunter pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the Monroe County Circuit Court. As a result of his guilty plea for the shooting death of Jonathan Furland, Judge Jim Pounds sentenced Hunter to 20 years in prison.
