Police charge man with three murders in small Mississippi town
Published 5:05 pm Thursday, January 17, 2019
A Mississippi man is charged with capital murder in the Tuesday shooting deaths of three men in the tiny community of Artesia.
The Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office says deputies charged Clark Earl Allen Jr. late Wednesday after holding him for questioning.
Deputies say Allen was visiting the Artesia mobile home where 22-year-old Mauricio Nance of Columbus, 31-year-old Demario Snell of Artesia and 24-year-old Tyshun Fields of Crawford were shot. They’re not saying why they believe Allen shot the men, but say Allen knew all three.
The Commercial Dispatch reports Allen was also charged with conspiracy to commit the sale of a controlled substance. He was denied bail and remains jailed in Lowndes County. It’s unclear if Allen, a resident of nearby Sessums, has a lawyer. His next court date is set for May 13.
Artesia is located on U.S. 45 in the area of Columbus and Starkville. The 2010 Census showed the town had a population of 440.