Jackson Coroner Describes Emotional Toll of Triple Homicide Involving 2-Year-Old Boy

A Mississippi coroner is speaking about the emotional impact of investigating a triple homicide in Jackson that claimed the lives of two sisters and a 2-year-old boy.

Hinds County Coroner Jeramiah Howard said the scene involving the young child was one of the most difficult moments of his career.

“To have a 2-year-old still lying in bed, the cartoon is still playing on the TV while we’re there, and again that just brought even more emotions to it,” Howard said.

Howard said one of the hardest parts of his job is notifying families that a loved one has died, especially when the victim is a child.

He said investigators must also balance compassion with the responsibility of treating the victims as evidence during a criminal investigation.

Jackson police are continuing to investigate the June triple homicide and recently revealed new details about a department-issued rifle believed to have been used in the killings.

Police said the rifle was stolen after suspects broke the rear window of a marked Jackson police vehicle parked at an apartment complex. Investigators believe the same weapon was later used in the homicide.

Howard said Jackson and Hinds County have historically experienced a high number of homicides, with some years seeing between 120 and 160 killings. However, he said recent data has shown improvement.

“I noticed last year our homicide rates came down a pretty good bit,” Howard said. “This year we were starting that trend of having the homicide rates continue to decrease.”

Despite those improvements, Howard said the triple homicide remains one of the most challenging cases he has handled.

He said evidence at the scene led him to believe the victims were intentionally targeted.

Jackson police continue working to identify all individuals responsible for the killings.