In the early morning hours of June 8, 1979, Gulfport Police Department Patrolman Buford Dedeaux was on duty when he stopped a man on a bicycle near 25th Avenue and 34th Street. It was around 12:30 a.m. when the fateful encounter occurred. While questioning the individual, the man produced a. 22 caliber handgun that was concealed in a duffel bag and an exchange of gunfire ensued. Patrolman Dedeaux was struck twice by the assailant's bullets.
Despite being mortally wounded, he was able to radio for assistance before he lost consciousness. Responding officers found him in the front seat of his patrol car, but he succumbed to his injuries shortly after their arrival.
The investigation into the shooting began immediately. At the scene, investigators collected several key pieces of evidence, including a yellow bicycle, a green ditty bag, a blue watch cap, and several spent. 22 caliber cartridge casings, along with Patrolman Dedeaux's service revolver. Later that day, at approximately 5:00 p.m., a 22-year-old suspect named Arthur Ray Lanier was apprehended at his grandmother's home in north Gulfport. Two days later, on June 10, 1979, Lanier provided a videotaped statement in which he admitted to shooting Dedeaux. He claimed that Officer Dedeaux had directed him to empty his bag, and as he was complying, he removed the pistol. Lanier alleged that Dedeaux then drew his own weapon and fired, prompting him to fire back while retreating.
Arthur Ray Lanier faced a series of lengthy legal battles for the murder of Patrolman Dedeaux. He was initially convicted of capital murder and sentenced to death on April 9, 1980. However, this was just the beginning of a legal process that would span nearly two decades and include multiple trials. A retrial was ordered, and on January 13, 1985, he was once again convicted of murder and sentenced to death. A third trial was later ordered, which also resulted in a conviction and a death sentence on June 11, 1985. Following yet another ordered trial, Lanier was convicted of murder for a fourth time on September 19, 1998, but his sentence was changed to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
