Murder of Kenneth Baxter

On July 6, 2007, Kenneth Baxter was working at the Hilton Garden Inn located in the Towne Centre Mall in Southaven, Mississippi. He would leave work at 8:30 pm and head to his apartment on Airways Blvd about 1.5 miles away.  About 15 minutes later he was walking in a southbound direction on Airways Blvd. on the Horn Lake Creek Bridge when he was struck by a vehicle going southbound. The vehicle would flee the scene. Kenneth would die from his injuries. 

It was initially believed that the vehicle that struck and killed him was believed to be a 1993 to 1995 Mercury Villager or Nissan Quest in red or maroon color. In 2011 however, it was determined to have been a 1998 Gold Nissan Quest.

SOURCES:

Uncovered

Southaven

Murder of Bruce Lewis

Composite of Suspect

At 6:50 pm on March 24, 2005, 37-year-old Bruce Lewis was at his home with his wife Ivy at  7845 Sarah Ann Drive South in South Haven, Mississippi. A man would enter the home without permission. He would demand money from Ivy. Bruce who was outside would enter the home through the garage from his backyard. When he saw the man he would confront him. The two would fight and this would cause the unknown man to shoot Brue. 

The man would run away right after and would be seen by several witnesses. He would be seen running down the sidewalk towards Tchulahoma Road. He was also talking on his cell phone while doing this. 

The suspect is a black male described as having a medium complexion. He was tall with either short hair or bald with possible facial hair around the nose and chin. He was wearing a hooded sweatshirt and dark pants. 

SOURCES: 

Uncovered

South Haven

Enterprise-Journal March 29, 2005

Action News 5 November 13, 2008

Disappearance of Tina Walls

In the late 1980s Tina Walls was last seen by her family in Gulfport, Mississippi. The date last seen is unknown, but the Harris County Sherrif's Office did have contact with her on January 26, 1987, when she was 27-years-old. She would have gone missing after this date. 

Tina is a white female and was in her late 20's when last seen. She's 5' to 5'2" and 95 to 110 lbs. She has Strawberry Blonde hair and it was dyed Blonde at the time. She has Hazel Eyes.  

SOURCES:

NamUs

International Missing Persons

Aliens: Pascagoula Creature

On the night of October 11, 1973, 19-year-old Calvin Parker and 42-year-old Charles Hickson went fishing on the west bank of the Pascagoula River in Pascagoula, Mississippi. It was a peaceful night until dusk and a strange sound of whirring and flashing blue lights was coming from the water. They looked up to see an oval-shaped object approximately 30 to 40 ft across and 8 to 10 ft high. 

Three creatures would glide out of the craft and move in a mechanical-like way. The creatures were humanoid in figure and stood around 6 ft. Their skin was pale grey and wrinkled much like an elephant. They had no visible eyes but did have slits for mouths there were carrot-shaped "growths" that seemed to be where a human's nose and ears would be. There was no neck, just the head connected to the shoulders, and only one leg that looked like two fused together and ended with an elephant-like foot.

The men would freeze and be completely paralyzed, but conscious. The creatures would bring them on board and seemed to be subjected to a medical exam by a giant robotic eye. Just like that, they were returned to shore and the ship sped away into the sky. 

The men were scared and reported the incident to  Keesler AFB and the Jackson County Sheriff's Department. In an audio recording that was taken secretly, the men seemed to be traumatized. They worried for their families and didn't want to be thought of as deceiving anyone. 

Two more people claimed to have seen the lights over the river that night and thought it was a helicopter or plane. They also claimed to have seen someone in the water at one point, but did not get a good look at the person. 

SOURCES:

Hinds Community College

Urban Legendpedia

Murder of Jair Valencia

On the night of March 31, 2007, Jair Valencia was at his brother's apartment at 5722 Arbor Drive at the Bradford Park Apartments in Southhaven, Mississippi. Jair would leave his brother's apartment. About 15 to 20 minutes later Jair was in the parking lot near his vehicle when he was confronted by several young black males. A struggle would ensue and this would cause Jair to be shot twice. They would flee the scene, but one suspect walked away returned back, and shot Jair 3 more times. The suspects would leave on foot, but an SUV was seen fleeing the area. 

SOURCES:

South Haven

South Haven PDF

Action News 5 April 2, 2007

Clairon-Ledger April 4, 2007

Turning Angel Statue of Natchez

It's said that the angel watching the graves of 5 young women in Natchez, Mississippi moves on its own. That it will turn and watch cars driving by. It's said to be most noticeable at night as headlights shine on it around the bend of the road. On June 23 2020 someone vandalized that statue rocking it back and forth until it fell off its pedestal estimating the damage to be $40,000. 

The story behind the deaths of the women start at the Corner of Main and South Union St. in Natchez,  where the Natchez Drug Company was. It was originally the Temple Opera House but was purchased by John H. Chambliss and made into the Natchez Drug Company. An accident will bestow the five-story building.

On March 14, 1908, a gas explosion caused the whole building to collapse. That morning workers of the company complained about a gas smell and a plumber, Sam Burns, arrived that afternoon to look for the leak. He had used a candle and searched the basement. The light from the candle would cause a gas explosion.

The shock from the explosion could be felt for several blocks, and buildings shook. Some even thought it was some sort of earthquake. A second and third explosion would follow crushing the adjoining buildings.

There were still people in the building and many would survive, but 9 people would lose their life. Those who lost their lives were Cleaveland Laub (25), Uriah Hoskins, Eliza Kitteringham, John Carkeet, Luella Booth (teenager), Mary “Lizzie” Worthy (12), Carrie O. Murray (22), Inez Netterville (teenager) and Ada White (teenager). 

None of the deaths were easy. Cleaveland a pharmacist for the Drug Company would be found under a mattress likely trying to protect himself from the flames that would eventually kill him. Uriah a carpenter working on the third floor died when he jumped out of the window to escape the fire. He had died from impacting the ground. Eliza and John were both bystanders who had died due to the explosion. John was standing in front of his own building and flying timbers would penetrate his legs later causing him to die in his home.

John Chambliss would feel guilty about the explosion and tried to share condolences with those who lost their loved ones. He would buy a lot in the Natchez Cemetary and pay for 5 of the girl's burials. Luella, Mary, Carrie, Inez, and Ada would be buried together. The tombstones would simply state their last names, but he would commission of a stone angel to watch over the young ladies. 

SOURCES:

Atlas Obscura

Historic City of Natchez

The Vintage News June 30, 2022

And Speaking of Which

September 24, 1825 Natchez, Mississippi John Doe

 On September 23, 1825, a man would arrive in Natchez, Mississippi on foot. He had a fiddle and a small bundle of clothes with him. The next morning the man would be found dead on a bench in the Market house. It was believed that he had died from some unknown disease. 

The man was believed to have been around 35-years-old.

SOURCES:

Find a Grave

Disappearance of Ronda Sue Harney

On July 21, 1994, 40-year-old Ronda Sue Harney was last seen at a Motel 6 in Biloxi, Mississippi. At the time Ronda was allegedly a drug user and possibly a prostitute. Though she lived this lifestyle she never left without contacting her children.

Ronda is a Native American female and was 40-years-old at the time. She is 5'0" and 100 lbs. She has long brown wavy hair and hazel eyes. She has upper and lower dentures, a beauty mark on the right side of her face, a butterfly tattoo on the top of her left breast, and a tattoo of the letters "RR" on her right arm.

SOURCES:

NamUs

National Missing Person Directory

Missingsippi

The Possible Homicide of Roy

 A witness came forward stating when they were a child, around 6-years-old, witnessed the murder of a man named Roy. He had been beaten to death with a fire poker and buried in a wooded area behind the witness's home in one of 6 states they lived in. 

Roy was a white male. He was a caretaker of a farm for an older white woman possibly named Quincey. He would have died between 1975 to 1979. It could have happened in Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, or Texas.

SOURCES:

Georgia Bureau of Investigation

Disappearance of Alan Roger Bourque

On Feb. 9, 1970, 19-year-old Alan Bourque did not report to duty at the Keesler AFB, Mississippi. His missing date (Perhaps when he was reported missing) in March 10, 1970, from New Orleans, Louisiana. There is little information in this case.

Alan is a white male and was 19 at the time. He's 5'8" and 160 lbs. He has brown hair and blue eyes.

SOURCES:
NamUs

Phantom Barber of Pascagoula, Mississippi

In 1942 WWII was in its 3rd year and towns across America were manufacturing weapons and supplies for WWII. The little town of Pascagoula, Mississippi was a coastal town and a perfect place to build warships. This had increased the population of the small town also. Something strange was also happening in Pascagoula during the summer of 1942.


On June 5, 1942, someone had slit the window screen at the Lady of Victories covenant. Two young girls were sleeping but awoke when a man they described as "Sorta short, sorta fat, and wearing a white sweatshirt. Both girls were missing a lock of hair and that was the only thing that was done.


A few days later on Monday the Barber struck again. He had slit open the window and snuck into the room that 6-year-old Carol Peattie lay sleeping next to her twin brother. He had cut the girls hair and had left a bare footprint.

It was believed that the same man had attacked a sleeping couple. He snuck in through a screen he had slit. Neither was killed, and his typical trophy wasn't taken. He had also attacked another victim by using chloroform.

57-year-old Chemist William Dolan was charged with the crime involving the couple. He was not charged with any of the other hair snatching crimes. They believed he was guilty of them though because police claimed a bundle of hair was found behind his home. In the eyes of the people saw him as the Phantom Barber. It's possible that the police wanted to end the case and placed blame on William Dolan to stop the public fear.

SOURCES:
http://mentalfloss.com/article/55316/strange-states-mississippis-phantom-barber-pascagoula
https://www.southernliving.com/halloween/mississippi-phantom-barber-video
https://funfactz.com/weird-facts/phantom-barber/

January 8, 2014 Sharkey County, Mississippi John Doe

On January 8, 2014, the skull of a child was found on the border of Sharkey County and Issaquena County Mississippi in a drainage canal. The canal was located in a crop field on the east side of the county. Only his skull was found and the rest of his remains were not. Cause of death couldn't be identified, but it is suspicious. The boy had been dead for several years. 

He was 5 to 7 years old and the race couldn't be determined. His skull was only found and other qualities couldn't be estimated. 

SOURCES:
https://www.namus.gov/UnidentifiedPersons/Case#/12994
http://api.missingkids.org/poster/NCMU/1268482/1
http://unidentified.wikia.com/wiki/Sharkey_County_John_Doe
http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/2568umms.html

May 17, 1967 Natchez, Mississippi Jane Doe

The partial skeleton of an adult African American woman was found near Natchez, Mississippi. She was estimated to have died within the last 6 months. She was estimated to be between the ages of 30 to 40. There is no estimated height or weight and no hair color or eye color. Her TMJ the part where her the Jaw meets the skull, showed signs of previous injury or pathology that had been there for some time.

Dentals are available, DNA has been submitted, but tests aren't complete. Fingerprints are unavailable.

SOURCES:
https://www.identifyus.org/en/cases/2205