Suspect also charged in Sat. incident
Published 5:00 am Thursday, September 10, 2009
The man charged in the Tuesday slaying of a Wesson pawn shopowner is being held without bond at the Copiah County CorrectionalFacility and has also been linked to an armed robbery at a BPstation in Georgetown just days before, authorities said.
Copiah County Sheriff Harold Jones said store video in therobbery, which officials previously would not officially link tothe shooting, shows Hollie pumping gas and then entering the storeSaturday afternoon around 5 p.m.
“Then he asked for a pack of cigarettes and snatched it out ofthe clerk’s hands,” Jones said. “Then he tried to walk out the doorwithout paying.”
Jones said a struggle ensued at that point, with store clerkLalit Patel putting the suspect in a headlock.
“He got a knife out of the back of his pants, but it was aclosed knife,” Jones said, adding that he was unable to get theknife open during the struggle.
Hollie then allegedly took his cigarettes and about $30 worth ofgas and left.
Jones said Hollie is now in jail on charges of capital murder inTuesday’s shooting of Denmon Ward, 54, of Wesson, and charges ofarmed robbery in the Georgetown BP incident.
Hollie turned himself in to Copiah County and Wesson authoritiesafter a standoff in front of the Wesson Police Station before dawnWednesday morning. Jones said at that point it was hard to tell theman’s state of mind, except that he was extremely distraught.
Jones said he’s glad the situation was handled peacefully, formany reasons, including the morale of the townspeople.
“Quite naturally, I’m thrilled that we caught him the way wedid, it was good for us and good for him because he walked awayfrom it,” Jones said. “I think the people are very relieved.”
Meanwhile Copiah County Coroner Ellis Stuart said Ward’s autopsyat the Mississippi State Crime Lab is complete but details have notbeen released yet.
Riverwood Family Funeral Services will handle Ward’sarrangements, Stuart said. Visitation will be held from 11 a.m.Friday until 1:30 p.m. at Riverwood, with the graveside service atRocky Hill Cemetery at 2 p.m.