JEFFERSON DAVIS COUNTY — A Brookhaven man was charged withmurder Monday afternoon in connection with the shooting of hisgirlfriend last week.

Edgar Smith, 23, of 215 Poplar Street, Brookhaven, was chargedyesterday with the murder of Latasha White, 22, of Brookhaven, byJudge Jerry Dyess in the Jefferson Davis County Justice Court,according to court records.

Bond, which Smith must pay in full to be released before trial,was set at $200,000, said a Justice Court spokeswoman. Smith isscheduled to go to trial when the next grand jury meets in March2002.

Smith has been held in the Jefferson Davis County Jail since theNov. 21 shooting death of White on Goodhope Road nearBassfield.

White was found in her vehicle with several gunshot wounds tothe head last Wednesday by a county road worker who wasbush-hogging along Goodhope Road, said Jefferson Davis CountyCoroner Greg Blackwell. White was pronounced dead at the scene.

Blackwell said it appeared the vehicle had pulled off the roadinto a small drive leading to a pasture in the sparsely populatedarea.

Since then authorities have been interviewing possible witnesseswho may have seen Smith leaving the area on foot and catching aride to Brookhaven, said Brookhaven Police Chief Arlustra “Pap”Henderson, whose department has assisted the Jefferson DavisSheriff’s Department by locating witnesses in Brookhaven.

“They interviewed two witnesses Friday that had knowledge ofsome things that were important to the case,” Henderson said.