Wesson Police are looking for a man who is wanted in connectionwith a residential burglary that could have amounted to thousandsof dollars of loss for a local homeowner, officials said.

Wesson Police Chief Chad O’Quinn said his department is activelysearching for Copiah County resident Joe Turner, 31, forquestioning in the case of a Factory Street burglary last Sundaynight.

Turner is described as a white male, 5’9″ and 240 pounds, withshort brown hair and green eyes. He has lived in Copiah County formost of his life, if not all of it, O’Quinn said.

O’Quinn said the robber took thousands of dollars in guns, coins,computers, and other loot from home before escaping. The elderlyhomeowner was on vacation at the time.

Working with the Copiah County Sheriff’s Office, the MississippiDepartment of Corrections, and the Department of Alcoholic BeverageControl, officers were able to recover approximately 90 percent ofthe stolen goods, O’Quinn said.

“The homeowner told us that he thought he’d never see his stuffagain, but we had located most of it by that next afternoon,”O’Quinn said. “That was a good feeling. The thing I’m not satisfiedwith is that we haven’t got this guy in jail yet.”

Officials say it is possible that Turner, who has an extensivecriminal history and is currently facing other Copiah Countycharges in separate crimes, is no longer in Wesson. O’Quinn saidhis department will do everything within their power to locate theperpetrator in this crime.

“This is the type of individual who violates your privacy, invadesyour home, and takes your belongings,” he said. “We’re not going totolerate burglaries of any kind in this town. We’re going toapprehend him eventually, and I’d rather it be sooner thanlater.”

O’Quinn said his investigators have several leads that they arefollowing as to where Turner might be hiding, but that any help thepublic can offer is much appreciated. Anyone with information onTurner’s whereabouts is asked to call the Wesson Police Departmentat (601) 643-2211, the Copiah County Sheriff’s Office at (601)894-3011, or their local law enforcement office.