Lauderdale County deputies discover bodies after making welfare checks

LAUDERDALE COUNTY, Miss. (WTOK) - Four bodies were found Tuesday in Lauderdale County after the sheriff’s department received multiple calls about people not showing up for work.

Three bodies were discovered at a residence on Jeffrey Acres Road. The other was found in a home on Highway 19 South in the Whynot community.

Chief Deputy Ward Calhoun said the only person identified as a suspect was involved in a pursuit in Lamar County Tuesday afternoon and that person is also deceased of an apparently self-inflicted gunshot.

Calhoun said deputies went about 1 p.m. to check on several people who had not shown up for work.

“Individuals had not shown up at work and deputies were dispatched. Upon arrival, they spoke with coworkers and neighbors when the decision was made to make entry into the house,” Calhoun explained.

That’s when they found two bodies at a home on Jeffrey Acres Road. About an hour later, another body was found at a home on Highway 19 South in the Whynot community. Later, authorities discovered the fourth body at the Jeffrey Acres residence.

“A suspect was quickly developed. The information was put out and it’s my understanding that Lamar County Sheriff’s Department and (Mississippi) highway patrol located the suspect vehicle and there was a short pursuit,” said Calhoun. “The suspect we have in these incidents has died.”

It appears that suspect crashed his truck into the tree line near Lumberton, south of Hattiesburg.

Calhoun says there are no other suspects in the case and they are trying to put the pieces together and understand what happened.

“We are putting it all together and will be for days to come. I would remind the community that family is important and you need to love your family,” Calhoun said.

This is a developing story.

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