Second arrest made in local homicide case
Published 7:00 am Wednesday, November 16, 2016
Correction: Smith was arrested by Pearl River County Sheriff’s Deputies on Nov. 7, not Oct. 29 as was originally reported.
Investigation into a homicide that occurred on Oct. 29 in the Nicholson area by Pearl River County Sheriff’s investigators led to the arrest of another suspect.
Deputies arrested Nicky R. Smith, 38, of 146 Hampton Road, on Nov. 7 in connection with the death of Mark Johnson, 39, of Slidell.
Chief Deputy Shane Tucker said he could not release the details of how Smith was allegedly involved in the homicide.
Smith was arrested for accessory after the fact and was released on a $50,000 bond, Tucker said.
According to previous coverage, Johnson was found at 35 Davis Dawsey Road having succumbed to multiple gunshot wounds.
Richard L. Carver, 18 of that address, was arrested for allegedly shooting Johnson.
Carver is being held at the Pearl River County jail on a $1million bond for murder as well as two $5,000 bonds for grand larceny and conspiracy to commit a crime and three counts of contempt of court.
Since the initial report, investigators have recovered one firearm they believe was used in Johnson’s shooting, Tucker said.
Forensic evidence is still being investigated, he said.
In a separate incident, a Poplarville man was arrested after claiming to work for the Drug Enforcement Agency.
On Oct. 28 at 9:33 p.m., deputies were dispatched to the 200 block of Tee Road on the report of a suspicious person claiming to work for the DEA, Tucker said.
When deputies arrived, they found Henry Joseph Palmer, 38 of 844 Old Wiggins Highway, standing on the front porch of a home speaking in a slurred manner, Tucker said.
Deputies asked Palmer if he had consumed illegal drugs. Palmer told deputies he had taken medicine for attention deficit disorder, but when further pressed he said he had ingested methamphetamine two days ago and hadn’t slept since, Tucker said.
The homeowner and Palmer told deputies they didn’t know one another.
Tucker said Palmer was arrested for public intoxication, willful trespassing and impersonating a police officer.
He is being held at the Pearl River County jail on $500 bonds for each charge, Tucker said.