Most-wanted fugitive accused faking his death returns to Jackson County courtroom
For the first time in more than a year, a Moss Point man who faked his own death to avoid prison for child sex abuse charges was back in a Jackson County Circuit Court courtroom.
Scott, 43, was in a yellow jail jumpsuit when he was escorted by deputies into Judge Kathy King Jackson’s courtroom on Wednesday to face 14 felony charges.
The judge had issued a warrant for Scott’s arrest in August 2018 when he failed to show up to enter a plea in his case. A grand jury indicted Scott on nine counts of sexual battery, four counts of touching of a child for lustful purposes, and one count of child exploitation.
The victim, 14, was pregnant with Scott’s baby.
On Wednesday, Scott was back before the judge who had issued the bench warrant after he failed to show to enter his guilty plea.
Before his disappearance, Scott had entered into a plea deal with the state for a lesser sentence and a reduction in the number of charges.
After his capture, District Attorney Angel Myers McIlrath said any plea deal was off the table.
Assistant District Attorney Justin Lovorn and defense attorney Rufus Alldredge requested a conference in the judge’s chambers Wednesday.
The judge excused the attorneys after their conference and told them to check their calendars to determine when they could go to trial.
The next status hearing will be April 20.
If convicted of all the charges, Scott could go to prison for life.
Mysterious disappearance
On July 30, 2018, Scott is accused of faking his death in Orange Beach, Alabama.
Alabama authorities suspected as much when they found Scott’s abandoned dinghy about a mile offshore in Orange Beach. In the boat, Scott had left what appeared to be a suicide note, a handgun tied to a rope and a very small amount of blood. His pickup truck was in nearby parking lot.
Scott had withdrawn $45,000 from his retirement account shortly before he disappeared.
He was captured at an RV Park in Antlers, Oklahoma, on Jan. 29. His arrest came less than 24 hours after he was named one of the U.S. Marshals top 15 most-wanted fugitives and the same night he was featured on Investigation Discovery’s “In Pursuit” with John Walsh.
