Police: Murder victim was shot; then body was moved

Published 12:40 pm Friday, November 29, 2013

DAILY LEADER FILE / JUSTIN VICORY / The cause of death has been determined in the murder of a McComb man who was partially burned, and found just off an extended stretch of South Washington Street.

DAILY LEADER FILE / JUSTIN VICORY / The cause of death has been determined in the murder of a McComb man whose body was found partially burned Oct. 30 just off an extended stretch of South Washington Street.

A McComb man, found dead on a stretch of road in Brookhaven Oct. 30, was shot to death, Lincoln County Deputy Coroner John Riggs said Wednesday afternoon.

Cornelius D. Porter, 28, was shot at least twice and then transported to a secluded area on South Washington St. where Brookhaven police found his body.

“The body had at least two bullet wounds. One was in the head and one was in the chest,” Riggs said.

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Investigators were able to retrieve one of the bullets from the body, but further details were unavailable.

“It’s possible that there were other gunshot wounds that we were unable to uncover,” Riggs said.

According to Brookhaven Chief of Police Bobby Bell, Porter was shot at a different location from where his body was uncovered.

In an alleged effort to destroy any evidence, the perpetrators apparently attempted to burn the body, said Riggs.

“Burns to the body were postmortem,” said Riggs.

Law enforcement officials have charged a number of individuals in connection with Porter’s death.

Jerry Doss, of 3102 Eden St., Pascagoula, and Karal Sham Lyons, 28, of 401 Crooked Lane, were charged with murder, and Shanta Dunnigan, 37, of 334 East Minnesota St., was charged with accessory to murder after the fact by the Brookhaven Police Department.

The Concordia Parish Sheriff’s Office arrested Doss in Ridgecrest, La., on Tuesday, Nov. 19, at which time Tabitha Harris, 27, Johnnie Butts, 21, and Jacqueline Spead, 55, were charged with accessory to murder after the fact.