In the small town of Verona, Mississippi, a dedicated public servant, 50-year-old male Police Chief Billy Wilson Yant, met a tragic and violent end on a cold January day. On January 6, 1989, Chief Yant was preparing to serve a warrant for threatening phone calls. He had arranged to meet deputies from the Lee County Sheriff's Office at the suspect's residence.
Before the deputies could arrive, the suspect and his wife emerged from the house and drove away in their pickup truck.
Chief Yant initiated a traffic stop, pulling the vehicle over in the parking lot of the Verona Christian Church. As the chief was exiting his patrol car, the male suspect, who was a passenger in the truck, opened fire on him. Despite being wounded, Chief Yant managed to return fire before collapsing. The assailant then stood over the fallen chief and shot him a total of 13 times with a. 30 caliber carbine rifle.
Both the male suspect and his wife were apprehended and charged with capital murder. The male suspect later took his own life while in jail. His wife was subsequently deported to her native country of Laos. Chief Yant, a U.S. Air Force veteran, had served the Verona Police Department for 12 years and was survived by his wife, children, and a twin sister.
