Latest news with #TimothyByrd
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Yahoo
Bond denied for former Mississippi police chief charged with capital murder, authorities say
A former Mississippi police chief, who is charged with capital murder, was denied bond on Thursday, May 8, according to authorities. The Yazoo County Sheriff's Office posted a news release via Facebook at 8:06 p.m. Thursday, May 8, stating former Yazoo City Police Chief James "Jay" Durwood Winstead, 50, was denied bond during a Thursday preliminary hearing. Court documents show on April 14 Winstead appeared before Judge Pam May in Yazoo County Justice Court for an initial appearance, where Winstead was given a $1 million bond. Winstead faces a capital murder charge in connection to an April 9 shooting death. The sheriff's office stated that after the Thursday preliminary hearing, Winstead was denied bond and bound over to a grand jury. Previous Clarion Ledger reporting states Winstead first started in law enforcement in 1996. Winstead was appointed as the Yazoo police chief in August 2020 and resigned by April 2021. According to the sheriff's office, deputies responded to a call around 6 p.m. April 9 in reference to a man who had suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Authorities identified the deceased man as Timothy Byrd. According to investigators, Byrd was found dead at his home off of Dover Road. "After investigators arrived on scene, they quickly uncovered several discrepancies in the story that was being told by a male subject that was on scene at the time of the incident," the sheriff's office said. "Investigators continued to process the scene and uncovered more evidence that there was foul play involved." Jackson police on violent crime decline: Jackson police chief says drastic drop in homicides over last year 'signifies progress' Authorities said deputies arrested Winstead in connection with the case and charged Winstead with capital murder. According to a general affidavit, Winstead "did purposely, knowingly, and feloniously kill Timothy Byrd with a Smith & Wesson 44 magnum in the commission of a robbery of $36,000 cash that was taken from Timothy Byrd's safe and hidden in the Jeep Wrangler behind the glove box." Additional details on this investigation have not been released. Pam Dankins is the breaking news reporter for The Clarion Ledger. Have a tip? Email her at pdankins@ This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Former Yazoo City MS Police Chief James Durwood Winstead denied bond
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Yahoo
Former Mississippi police chief faces capital murder charge 4 years after resignation
A former Mississippi police chief was arrested and charged with capital murder last week, more than four years after his resignation as chief. The Yazoo County Sheriff's Office posted a news release via Facebook at 11:09 p.m. Friday, April 11, stating deputies responded to a call around 6 p.m. Wednesday, April 9, in reference to a man who had suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The department identified the deceased man as Timothy Byrd. According to the department, Byrd was found dead at his home off of Dover Road. "After investigators arrived on scene, they quickly uncovered several discrepancies in the story that was being told by a male subject that was on scene at the time of the incident," the news release reads. "Investigators continued to process the scene and uncovered more evidence that there was foul play involved." According to the news release, deputies arrested former Yazoo City Police Chief James "Jay" Durwood Winstead, 50. Winstead was charged with capital murder in connection to this case, authorities said. K-9 injured in traffic stop shooting: Capitol Police arrest man after traffic stop shooting on I-55 in Jackson left K-9 injured After receiving some criticism about the arrest, as Winstead appears to be a widely known community figure, the sheriff's office posted at 9:41 a.m. Saturday the following message in full: "Evidence is evidence," the statement begins. "I understand a lot of people are upset behind this and so are we. We all worked with this guy at some point in our law enforcement career, but these kinds of warrants don't get signed without sufficient evidence to do so. We have no reason to fabricate charges and once again there is evidence all over this case that none of you know about at this point. My prayers go out to the families of both parties in this situation." The Clarion Ledger reached out to receive more information about the case, but the sheriff was not immediately available. Previous Clarion Ledger reporting states that Winstead first started in law enforcement in 1996. Winstead was appointed as police chief in August 2020 by the Board of Mayor and Aldermen in a 4–1 vote, according to board meeting minutes from the Aug. 3, 2020. According to Clarion Ledger reporting, Winstead resigned as the Yazoo City police chief before April 2021, citing ongoing issues with the city's mayor at that time. See details on Winstead's resignation: Yazoo City police chief cites ongoing frustrations with mayor as reason for resignation The Clarion Ledger reported Winstead and Jake Sheriff, who was the Yazoo County sheriff at the time, brought up the idea of the two law enforcement agencies working together during a meeting with the city's mayor on March 23, 2021. Winstead said the mayor didn't agree to the Yazoo City police helping the sheriff's department. According to Winstead, the department's investigative captain and himself had taken on working 12-hour patrolling shifts alongside other officers due to a staffing shortage. Winstead said the staffing shortage had been going on for years. The Clarion Ledger also reported Winstead felt weighed down by the low bond set for the man accused of killing a 13-year-old in March. The bond had been originally set at $250,000 and was reduced to $75,000. Pam Dankins is the breaking news reporter for The Clarion Ledger. Email her at pdankins@ This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Former Yazoo City Police Chief James 'Jay' Durwood Winstead arrested
