New Details Emerge in Case of 17-Year-Old Accused in De-aths of Beloved Simpson County Couple as Court Hearing Reveals Sh0cking Connection
SIMPSON COUNTY, Miss. (WLBT) – New details about the teen charged in the deaths of a married couple at their Simpson County home on June 3 have been revealed.
During a preliminary hearing Thursday for 17-year-old suspect Cordarius Hobbs, family members of Hobbs said he knew the victims, 74-year-old Billy Blair and 71-year-old Virginia Carol Barnett-Blair.
Authorities say 71-year-old Virginia Carol Blair and her husband, 74-year-old Billy Blair, were fatally shot in their home by a 17-year-old suspect. The couple are being remembered as loving and caring members of their community.(Source: Family photos, WLBT via CNN)
Family members said the teen worked for the Blairs at their home, located on W.L. Blair Street.
The deadly incident shook the Simpson County community, with the husband and wife described as deeply rooted in their faith.
Hobbs now faces 13 charges, including:
2 counts of capital murder
1 count of burglary
4 counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon
4 counts aggravated assault law officer with deadly weapon
2 counts aggravated assault over 65 years old
Events Leading to Deadly Standoff
The deadly shooting happened on June 3rd.
During Thursday’s preliminary hearing, an investigator with the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation testified that contractors arrived at the Blair’s home in Simpson County to install a generator.
While at the home, they noticed the back door of Carol’s car was open with rifles loaded onto the backseat.
The three contractors also noticed the back door of the home appeared to be forced open.
The contractors started yelling Mr. Blair’s name to see if he was home. Once they did not get a response, they called the Simpson County Sheriff’s Department to come out and conduct a welfare check, alerting them what they witnessed.
Four Simpson County deputies arrived at the home about an hour after the call.
When the first deputy entered inside the home, he was immediately met with gunfire, according to investigator who testified on Thursday.
Hobbs is accused of shooting at the deputies, sparking a gunfight that lasted for at least two hours, with surrounding agencies also coming in to assist.
Investigators say Hobbs barricaded himself inside the house.
Hobbs told them he would surrender and come out the front door of the home, but ended up running out the back door before being chased down by officers.
The 17-year-old was also shot, and has since recovered from his non-life threatening injuries.
More than 280 shell casings were recovered at the scene.
Investigators say several key pieces of evidence are still being processed. Things such as: DNA results, ballistics, and body cam footage from law enforcement officers.
Autopsy Report
On Thursday, it was revealed that Carol Blair received two gunshots to the head.
Billy Blair received three gunshots to the face, one shot on the right side from a distance, and two on the left side from close range, according to the preliminary autopsy report.
Carol Blair was found in the bedroom on the floor. Billy Blair was found on the kitchen floor lying on his back.
The Defense’s Argument
During the preliminary hearing, the defense argued there’s not enough evidence to prove Hobbs shot at the officers, shot at the individuals on scene, or broke into the Blair’s home.
“There was nothing to say he’s a principle, he’s the one that pulled the trigger on these things,” said Attorney Zachary Vaugh, who’s representing Hobbs. “One of the things alone was, one of the victims was shot twice on one side of the head and once on the other. I think that’s pretty compelling that somebody else may have been in there. There’s a lot of things that are possible, just a tremendous amount of things.”
Vaughn says everyone who was shot at stated that as soon as the gunfire erupted, they immediately took cover and did not see who did the shooting.
“When you have an officer say there’s no one that can identify him at the time of the shooting, I just don’t see how that adds up,” said Vaughn. “He’s literally fighting for his life. I want to make sure all the I’s are dotted and T’s are crossed.”
The defense says there are several possibilities in this case, including the possibility that Hobbs did not kill the elderly couple, as well as a possibility that there could have been someone else in the house that day.
“That’s up for law enforcement to figure out, I hope they can,” said Vaughn. “We want to make sure that police do their jobs and make sure that whoever is accountable, their held accountable for what they did, nothing more, nothing less.”
Family members say Hobbs knew the elderly couple because he worked for them.
“My grandson used to work for the man, why you gone rob a man that you work for,” said Billy Newsome, Hobbs’ grandfather. “Why you gone stay there that long and you know the police out there, and then you gone wait until everybody gets there to run, it just ain’t adding up, something just ain’t right here.”
Newsome said his grandson was called to the Blair’s home to do some work the day that deadly shooting happened.
He maintains his grandson is innocent.
“I think it was somebody else in that house that they ain’t saying, that’s what I think,” he said. “It’s more to this here welfare check I think, than folks are letting on.”
Hobbs was also again denied bond during the hearing. He faces 13 charges, which include two counts of capital murder and one count of burglary.
