The issue of why someone would want to kill Mike Delaughter is aquestion that is still unanswered, but Lincoln County Sheriff’sDepartment officials say they are getting close to finding themissing piece of the puzzle.

“A clear motive still hasn’t been determined at this time,” saidSheriff Steve Rushing Tuesday afternoon.

Rushing said witness accounts are painting a clearer picture onwhat might have transpired in the death of the father of six andgrandfather of 11.

“We’re still interviewing folks, and waiting on some labresults,” he said. “We’ve been interviewing a lot more people.”

Delaughter, 58, of East Lincoln Road, was found dead of agunshot wound to the head in a field off Bogue Chitto Road on June14. Officials said he had been cutting hay for the landownerearlier that weekend, and could have been in the field for as longas two days.

Delaughter’s truck was initially reported missing, as it was notat the scene where his body was found laying face up by a grove ofbushes. A day later, investigators found it hidden in some treesacross a large clearing – well away from the original crimescene.

Rushing said he could not release too much information at thispoint in the investigation, but that items from the crime sceneshad been sent to the Mississippi State Crime Lab to be tested forevidence. A team from the crime lab had come to process the truckthe day it was found, looking for fingerprints and other indicatorsof who might have moved the truck.

“We’ve got some fingerprints and some other stuff we’re workingon,” he said, adding that more information will be released as theinvestigation comes closer to a resolution.