On the morning of October 4, 1995, Simpson County Sheriff Lloyd Silas Jones, a 66-year-old male, was shot and killed in the front yard of his own home on Mary Grove Road near Magee, Mississippi. A dedicated lawman with a 39-year career, he had served as sheriff for 19 years, following a 20-year tenure with the Mississippi Highway Patrol. The events of that tragic morning began to unfold before 7:00 a.m.
when a man shot and wounded a woman, Mary Walker Langston, who lived near the sheriff's residence.
Following the initial shooting, the assailant proceeded to Sheriff Jones's home. There, he first shot and killed a jail trustee, RV Lewis. The gunman then turned his weapon on Sheriff Jones, fatally shooting him with a shotgun while the sheriff was still inside his vehicle. The shots struck him in the neck and chest. The violent episode triggered a massive manhunt involving at least a dozen law enforcement agencies.
The search for the suspect, identified as 44-year-old Carl Ray Johnson, quickly spread across the county. A description of Johnson and his 1988 Ford pickup truck was distributed, and after several hours and numerous sightings, the manhunt concluded. Less than four hours after the murders, Johnson was located and apprehended on Highway 35 near Mount Olive in the neighboring Covington County. He was arrested without resistance and taken into custody in Hattiesburg.
In the aftermath of the killings, the Mississippi Highway Patrol took over the investigation. Carl Ray Johnson was subsequently tried and convicted for the capital murder of Sheriff Lloyd Jones and the jail trustee. He was sentenced to life in prison for his crimes. The community of Simpson County mourned the loss of their sheriff, who was remembered as a formidable and respected figure, tough on crime yet known for his kindness and dedication to the people he served. He was survived by his wife, three sons, and daughters.
