Capital murder charges filed after missing man’s truck found burned, his body found in abandoned building

Published 2:53 pm Friday, January 25, 2019

RAYMOND (AP) — The body of a Mississippi man has been found in an abandoned building, and another man is charged in his death.

The Mississippi Department of Public Safety issued an alert Wednesday for 47-year-old Stoney Dale Qualls, who left his home in the Hinds County town of Raymond to help a stranded motorist. Qualls called to say he was returning home but didn’t show up. Relatives said Qualls had a condition that could impair his judgment.

News outlets report investigators found Qualls’ burned pickup truck Thursday in Copiah County, just south of Hinds County. His body was found Friday in a Copiah County building.

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The Hinds County Sheriff’s Department has charged Joseph Zattoni of Terry with capital murder. Zattoni was jailed, and it wasn’t immediately clear whether he has an attorney.

A second man who is being called a person of interest remains hospitalized in critical condition. The Rankin County Sheriff’s Office told the Clarion-Ledger that it had to use “deadly force” involving the second suspect. The newspaper said that University of Mississippi Medical Center said that Corey Harris — who Qualls is suspected of giving a ride — was admitted to the hospital.

Qualls’ son Jesse Qualls released a video on Facebook Friday morning about the events.