In the summer of 2012, the life of 15-year-old Edward Evans, Jr. was tragically cut short in Jackson, Mississippi. His decomposing body was discovered behind an abandoned house at 1604 Barrett Avenue on a Monday evening. The Hinds County Coroner, Sharon Grisham Stewart, confirmed the identity of the remains through dental records due to the advanced state of decomposition, estimating that the body had been there for at least two weeks.
An autopsy revealed that the young male had been shot in the face.
The discovery sent shockwaves through the neighborhood where Evans had grown up. He was a student who had attended Blackburn and Cardoza Middle Schools and was preparing to enter the 9th grade at Jim Hill High School in the fall. Family and friends gathered at the scene, overcome with grief as the news spread.
In the days that followed, the investigation into the death of Edward Evans, Jr. led to a surprising suspect. On August 9, 2012, 25-year-old Cedric Ratliff surrendered to U.S. Marshals in connection with the shooting. Ratliff was the victim's neighbor, and the house where Evans' body was found was next door to Ratliff's home. An arrest warrant had been issued for Ratliff, and he was subsequently charged with murder.
According to Evans' father, Edward Evans Sr., Ratliff was like an older brother to his son. Rumors in the neighborhood suggested that Ratliff believed someone was breaking into his home and had fired his gun into his backyard, not knowing he had struck anyone. While expressing that he didn't believe the act was intentional, Evans Sr. maintained that it was a murder and that an arrest should be made. Sometime after his arrest, while out on bond for the murder charge, Cedric Ratliff was arrested again on drug charges for possession of marijuana.
