Coroner confirms ID; cause of death ‘pending’

Published 3:24 pm Tuesday, July 27, 2021

The body found under a bridge on J. E. Johnson Road has been confirmed by the Jefferson Davis County Coroner Dedra Johnson as Shirley Jones of Prentiss.

Jones was discovered July 18 just before 10 a.m. by Jefferson Davis County Sheriff’s Deputy Stephanie Barnes.

According to Barnes, a Prentiss resident entered the Sheriff’s Office that morning holding a flyer with Jones’ photo on it. He reported to Barnes that he had seen Jones walking on J. E. Johnson Road earlier that week. Once Barnes arrived in the area, she saw Jones’ body face down under the bridge.

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Authorities say the area had been searched more than once by law enforcement officers and family members.

“The cause and manner of death listed on the medical examiner’s report that I received is ‘pending’,” said Johnson.

Jones, 73, was last seen July 13 at approximately 3 p.m. near Her residence on Tyrone Drive in Prentiss. The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation issued a Silver Alert for Jones the following day. The Silver Alert stated that Jones suffered from a medical condition that may have impaired her judgment.

The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation and District Attorney’s Office assisted the Prentiss Police Department and the Jefferson Davis County Sheriff’s Office with the investigation.

If you have any information regarding this incident, please call the Prentiss Police Department 601-792-5198 or the Jefferson Davis County Sheriff’s Office 601-792-5169.