Investigators in Mississippi made a grim discovery Tuesday (Nov. 5) morning when they found the bodies of three missing persons in an abandoned cabin. The authorities were led to the rundown home in a densely wooded area after arresting the suspect in the case.
Atira Hughes-Smith, 30; her 7-year-old-son Jaidon Hill; and Hughes-Smith’s husband, Laterry Smith, 34 were found dead in rural Copiah County. The county’s coroner confirmed that the family, who resided in predominately white town of Brandon, were all shot. The suspect, Timothy Lydell Burns, 42, of Jackson, reportedly led authorities to the cabin.
The family went missing over the weekend after a person spotted their overturned vehicle not far from where their bodies were found on fire in a ditch. Little has been revealed regarding Burns’ connection to the case, but police say that “investigative techniques” over the past few days points to the crime directly to him.
According to reports, Hughes-Smith, a nursing assistant and her husband, a construction worker had only been married for a few months. The boy attended StoneBridge Elementary in Brandon, a town that is part of the Jackson Metropolitan area.
Copiah County Sheriff Harold Jones stated that Burns dumped the bodies in the cabin and set the family’s vehicle on fire in an attempt to cover up evidence. Burns was arrested a gas station Monday night in Jackson.
The investigation is ongoing.
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Photo: Copiah County
