Continued investigation into the inmate escape that also involved a stolen county vehicle led to the arrest of nine suspects who allegedly assisted.
Pearl River County Chief Investigator Marc Ogden said the following suspects were arrested as part of a joint operation with the local agency, Florence Police Department, Rankin County Sheriff’s Department, Pearl Police Department, Jackson Police Department and the Simpson County Sheriff’s Department.
Those suspects include Demarkus Henry, 21, of Jackson, arrested for accessory after the fact by the Pearl River County Sheriff’s Department; Tacuma Wilson, 43, of Gulfport, arrested for accessory after the fact by the Pearl River County Sheriff’s Department; Justin Strong, 22, of Pearl, for hindering prosecution by the Pearl Police Department; Blake Bryant, 30, of Jackson arrested by the Jackson Police Department for receiving stolen property and Danielle Holifield, 32, of – Braxton, for harboring a fugitive by the Simpson County Sheriff’s Department.
Three suspects in custody at the Pearl River County Jail were also arrested by the local sheriff’s department in relation to this case for assisting Dollar in his escape. Ogden said the investigation shows these suspects provided Dollar with information about how to get to the county barn, the best way to make entry and which vehicle was the easiest to steal based on access to the keys.
Those suspects include William Chad Smith, 38, of Poplarville; Joseph Wheeler, 24, of Jackson, and Lawrence Jackson, 32, of Pascagoula. All three were arrested for conspiracy to commit escape and aiding in the escape of a prisoner.
All of these individuals were arrested in relation to the escape of 24-year-old Roger Dollar of Brandon, after he jumped the fence at the county jail, where he was being held as a state inmate to participate in the jail’s alcohol and drug program, on Dec. 17.
He was discovered as missing the following morning, and on the subsequent Monday morning, county barn staff reported a missing vehicle.
Investigation determined Dollar was allegedly responsible for taking the county vehicle, shortly after his escape that Saturday night.
Dollar was found in Rankin County on Dec. 21 and arrested for the offenses of escape, grand larceny, malicious mischief and conspiracy to commit escape.