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| -Lurid Crime Tales- |
| Bodies of Mississippi family found, suspect charged |
| 2004-03-02 |
| Edited for brevity. A couple hours after a man was charged with killing his cousin, the cousin's wife and their 4-year-old son, investigators found three bodies Monday. "We've found two bodies and what appears to be the body of a child," Mississippi Department of Public Safety spokesman Warren Strain said. Earnest Lee Hargon was charged with three counts of capital murder in Yazoo County Court and was ordered held without bond. Michael Hargon, his wife, Rebecca, and the couple's son, James Patrick -- disappeared from their Yazoo County home February 14. Before the hearing, Hargon was escorted by police from a car to the courthouse, where a handful of relatives of the slain family jeered. "You bastard!" one family member shouted. "You're not such a bad boy now, are you?" another taunted. Dressed in an orange jumpsuit and handcuffed, Hargon answered several questions from Judge Pamela May before being led away. May appointed a public defender for Hargon at his request. Authorities said they would seek the death penalty against Hargon because they believe he killed his cousin's family during a kidnapping or an attempted kidnapping. "That's one of things that make it capital murder -- when it's in a commission of an underlying felony and kidnapping would be the underlying felony that supports capital murder in this case," said District Attorney James Powell. Strain told reporters that Hargon became a suspect in the case the day after the family was reported missing. Strain told CNN earlier that an inheritance dispute between Michael and Earnest "goes to motive." An uncle died, leaving land to Michael Hargon and none to Earnest Lee Hargon, Strain had said. Apparently the "uncle", who had adopted Earnest, felt he wasn't stable or responsible enough for the inheritance. Then Earnest went and proved him right. |
| Posted by:Dar |