‘My life has been in great danger.’ Picayune man accused in capital murder asks for bond
A Picayune man accused in a high-profile capital murder in Pearl River County pleaded with a judge Monday to get a bond set so he could leave jail because he’s afraid of being hurt or worse.
Dustin Gray, 25, has been in jail since his capture in the aftermath of the July 6 shooting death of Willie “Chill” Jones. Gray’s half-brother, Austin Brookshire, also is charged with capital murder in the case.
Both have been held without bond since their arrests.
On Monday, Gray was masked, shackled and chained in a red jail jumpsuit when he told Judge Prentiss G. Harrell he was concerned about his safety by being in the Pearl River County jail.
“I was just gonna say, my life has been in great danger over the last couple of months,” Gray told the judge of his time in jail.
Gray said he fears he may be harmed because of his alleged involvement in the case.
Judge denies bond for Dustin Gray
Gray’s court-appointed attorney, Joseph Turney, pointed out that Gray initially had been housed at the Marion Walthall County Correctional Facility in Columbia since his arrest due to concerns for his safety.
He ended up back in Pearl River County as a cost-saving measure because it cost more to house him at the out-of-town facility, the attorney said.
Turney noted that Gray also had not been indicted and was a lifelong resident of Pearl River County with strong family ties that should make him eligible for bond because he was not a flight risk.
A bond is not given in a capital murder case, but Gray is awaiting indictment.
Judge Harrell immediately denied the appeal for bond, telling Gray he “will be maintained in a safe and secure manner.”
Family ties to Picayune
Though Gray’s attorney tried to convince the judge his client wasn’t a flight risk, Gray has already tried to escape arrest.
In the days after Willie Jones’ death, Gray and his wife, Erica Deleon Gray, packed up their Picayune home and left town.
They remained on the run until authorities in Pueblo, Colorado, found them and took them into custody pending their extradition back to Mississippi to face the charges here.
Erica Gray and a minor are charged as accessories after the fact to capital murder, but are free on bond. Erica Gray has been out of jail since August on a $20,000 bond, Justice Court officials confirmed Monday.
Relatives of Willie Jones are outraged over the release of Erica Gray and the minor.
Brookshire remains jailed without bond.
The killing of Willie Jones
Dustin Gray and Brookshire have admitted their roles in the killing, according to authorities.
Dustin Gray was the first to confirm Willie Jones was dead and told authorities where to go in Hancock County to find his body in a makeshift grave.
Dustin Gray fingered his brother as the alleged shooter, and his brother told authorities the two had planned to rob and shoot Jones.
Jones was in the back seat of Dustin Gray’s car on Ceasar Road in Pearl River County when he was shot and killed, according to court records.
Afterward, Dustin Gray went back to see the family of Jones, even acting like he was helping in the search for Willie Jones.
He sent texts to relatives, they said, to try to indicate his concern for Willie Jones and also made calls to find a man he knew was already dead.
The family had considered Dustin Gray a close friend to not only Willie Jones but them as well. They were shocked to learn he was allegedly involved in his death.
After the murder, Dustin Gray and his wife tried to clean up the blood in the back seat of his car. Dustin Gray later took the car to a car wash to try to get it cleaned, but the employees refused to do so after they saw blood.
Authorities later recovered the car from the home of one of Dustin Gray’s relatives in Harrison County.
This story was originally published November 24, 2020 at 5:50 AM.
