13-year-old charged with capital murder after Mississippi child burned to death

Published 5:10 am Saturday, September 4, 2021

A 13-year-old boy has been charged with capital murder after another boy burned to death in a fire that was started while the boys were playing behind a shop at a Tate County home.

Officials from the Tate County Sheriff’s Department report that Michael Lane Campbell, 13, has been arrested and will be charges as an adult.

Police say Campbell is responsible for the death of Gaines Coker, 12. Coker died from severe burns he received from a fire that was reportedly started at shop behind a house on Arkabutla Dam Road.

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Police have not released details about how the fire started.

Campbell is being held in the Tate County jail.