MS Coast man gets life sentence in capital murder of Gautier man found floating in river

A Mississippi Coast man has been sentenced to life without parole in the capital murder of 29-year-old Dustin Suttles, whose body was found Sept. 22, 2020, floating in the Pascagoula River.

Joseph Paul McLeod, 34, of Pascagoula pleaded guilty to the crime, which carries the death penalty, on Tuesday before Circuit Court Judge Dale Harkey.

He is one of four men charged in the homicide of Suttles, who was from Gautier.

McLeod lured Suttles to Jackson County, then assaulted and killed Suttles, according to the office of District Attorney Angel Myers McIlrath. The body of Suttles was dumped from the Roy Cumbest Bridge into the river, a news release from the office says.

An investigation determined McLeod was a high-ranking member of the Simon City Royals, the news release says

Three other men were initially charged with accessory after the fact to capital murder, but their charges were later upgraded to capital murder.

McLeod was initially charged with capital murder.

The other three suspects are in jail without bond awaiting grand jury action, the sheriff’s office said.

This story was originally published September 15, 2021 at 11:43 AM.

Anita Lee

Sun Herald

601-909-0638

Anita, a Mississippi native, graduated with a journalism degree from the University of Southern Mississippi and previously worked at the Jackson Daily News and Virginian-Pilot, joining the Sun Herald in 1987. She specializes in in-depth coverage of government, public corruption, transparency and courts. She has won state, regional and national journalism awards, most notably contributing to Hurricane Katrina coverage awarded the 2006 Pulitzer Prize in Public Service. Support my work with a digital subscription