Police: Deaths of two Hancock County men connected
The recent slayings of two Hancock County men are connected, Waveland Police Chief David Allen said Thursday after friends of one victim confirmed he was a member of the Simon City Royals.
Autopsies show Jeremy Fountain and Matthew Spooner, both 35, each died of a gunshot wound to the head.
Spooner, who grew up in the Leetown community, was found shot to death in a New Orleans home on July 6. New Orleans police said they were alerted by a call of a shooting on North Miro Street about 1:12 a.m. He was suffering from a gunshot wound and died at the scene, according to a police press release.
Fountain, of Bay St. Louis, had been reported missing. Friends have said he was last seen around the time Spooner was killed.
On Monday, five days after Spooner was killed, Fountain’s uncle found his body in woods near Chesapeake and Coral Streets in Shoreline Park and called for help, Allen said.
Dental records used
Dental records were used to identify Fountain, Hancock County Coroner Jim Faulk said.
It’s unclear if Fountain was killed in Waveland or left there.
Allen would neither confirm nor deny any gang affiliation or if the killings were gang-related.
“We’re not going to put out anything that might jeopardize the outcome of this investigation,” Allen said.
“Interviews are still in progress and we have other leads to track down. The investigation is progressing. And we are working closely with the New Orleans Police Department.”
Friends of Spooner talk
Friends of Spooner have told the Sea Coast Echo he was a Simon City Royal but in recent months wanted to form a new group with other Simon City Royals called the Sip City Royals. He wanted group that would move away from criminal activities and make a positive impact on his community, the associate said.
Spooner had been staying at the home where he was killed, the Sea Coast Echo reported.
Intelligence reports from area police show more Simon City Royals have been found in South Mississippi than anywhere else in the state, according to statistics published in an exclusive Sun Herald report.
Spooner was known as Sir Twig. The “sir” title is one one given to Simon City Royals members who have “done violence” for the gang.
Spooner, the father of three children, tried to avoid violence and wanted a family-oriented group, an associate said.
Fountain, whose nickname was Huggies, and had been spending a lot of time with Spooner, friends said.
To give a tip
Allen said anyone with information should call Hancock County Central Dispatch at 255-9191. Or call Mississippi Coast Crime Stoppers at 1-877-787-5898 or give a tip online at mscoastcrimestoppers.com. Tipsters who give information that solves a felony crime can receive a cash reward of up to $1,000, even while remaining anonymous.
Simon City Royals street gang
South Mississippi has the state’s largest number of SCR members.
SCRs in South Mississippi are known for trafficking in guns and meth, simple assaults, thefts, burglaries and home invasions.
SCRs have made headlines in South Mississippi since 2012, when agents uncovered a gun-trafficking operation run by gang members. More than 100 guns were seized and 15 gang members went to prison.
Drug convictions include a 23-year prison term imposed in February for an SCR member from Pascagoula who helped lead a meth-trafficking conspiracy; and a 50-month prison term in Aug. 2014 for a Pearl River County man who made improvised explosive devices in an area where he and others were manufacturing meth.
Six people with SCR ties are accused of kidnapping a Jackson County woman in July 2015 and beating her for hours.
Six SCR members are accused of making bombs in Bay St. Louis. They were arrested in July 2015 after an explosion occurred at an apartment complex.
— Sun Herald news reports and in-depth crime trend studies
This story was originally published July 14, 2016 at 1:48 PM with the headline "Police: Deaths of two Hancock County men connected."