The Wilkinson County Sheriff reported on Friday that a group consisting of three individuals, one of which is an ex-girlfriend, are facing murder charges in western Mississippi. The group is accused of plotting to kill a former Southern University sophomore who was found shot dead.
Three individuals, namely Derek Terrell Hollins Jr. (21), Calajia Jack (20), and Allyah Martin (21), have been charged with first-degree murder in Wilkinson County. This comes after a body, suspected to be that of Steven Harris, was discovered with gunshot wounds.
Wilkinson County deputies have reported that three suspects have been apprehended on charges of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder in West Feliciana Parish. The suspects are currently in custody and will be extradited to Mississippi to face their murder charges.
Although the body discovered on Tuesday has not been officially confirmed as Harris, investigators have expressed their confidence that it is indeed him after consulting with his family.
The family of Harris is yet to provide a DNA sample, and as a result, the Wilkinson County Coroner’s Office has not been able to conduct an autopsy.
According to Sam D’Aquilla, the 20th District Attorney in Louisiana, there are no plans to convene a grand jury in this case. Instead, he intends to press charges against all three individuals implicated in the matter.
West Feliciana Parish Sheriff Brian Spillman stated earlier this week that his office uncovered evidence indicating that the group of suspects conspired to lure Harris to Mississippi with the intention of killing him.
Spillman stated that they have reason to believe that the plan to carry out the crime was formulated in West Feliciana Parish, and the initial stages that led to Steven’s demise also took place in the same area.
According to court records, Martin, one of the suspects, was in a relationship with Harris and they had a child together. However, their relationship was tumultuous, with both of them filing restraining orders against each other and accusing each other of physical abuse.
After much deliberation, Martin and Harris agreed to share custody of their son, with Martin being the primary caregiver and Harris having visitation rights. However, things took a sour turn when Harris moved to Texas without informing Martin, which was a clear violation of their custody agreement. Martin was left with no choice but to file a complaint against Harris, accusing her of being in contempt of their agreement, which mandated that any move beyond 50 miles must be duly communicated.
Harris’ family has reported that he disappeared just over a week before a scheduled custody hearing on Thursday, where he was determined to continue fighting for full custody of his son. Currently, Harris’ parents have custody of his son, as reported by WBRZ.
Allyah confided in Harris’ mother, Lasonia, about Martin’s possible involvement in her son’s disappearance. Lasonia had already been suspicious of Martin after learning that he had been at the same location where Harris’ cell phone last pinged. She explained that only she, her husband, and the police were aware of Harris’ last known location. Lasonia also mentioned that her son and Martin were not on good terms prior to Harris’ disappearance.
Although Southern University has stated that there are no university or student-organized memorials for Harris, The Human Jukebox, which is the Southern University Marching Band, expressed their sympathies to his family.
On Thursday, a post expressed that Steven was more than just a bandmate, he was a valued member of their family and his memory will always be cherished in their hearts.
