Man who died in Christmas cold was trying to get home to family, South MS coroner says

A 57 year-old homeless man who was found dead in Pearl River County Monday morning died from extreme weather conditions on Christmas Day.

The man was identified as Charles Wilson Ligon Jr. by Pearl River County Coroner Derek Turnage, who told the Sun Herald that Ligon succumbed to extreme temperatures and passed away Christmas night.

Ligon was found by duck hunters who were returning home from a hunting trip at 9:30 am on Dec. 26, in the woods near Interstate 59 and Highway 26 in Poplarville.

Ligon was dressed in a light jacket and had money and a cell phone, Turnage said.

“It was apparent that he was staying in the woods there,” Turnage said. “We were able to access his cell phone and determine a time frame that he had been communicating with some family.”

Turnage said Ligon left the Slidell area about two weeks ago without a vehicle or other means of transportation. At the time of his death, he was trying to get to family members in Tennessee.

“We were able to notify next of kin, and it was evident that the family was trying to work with him to get him back to Tennessee, but he didn’t have the means of getting a bus ticket or getting money wired to him,” Turnage said. “He didn’t have a current ID, which was the reason why he could not get those things done. The family was struggling to get him there.”

This story was originally published December 27, 2022 at 10:50 AM.