Leotha Kincaid Ashford, 42, was shot at Hannah Heights Apartments in Ethel, Mississippi, on the evening of December 19, 2024. He was taken to the Baptist Hospital Attala Emergency Department but was pronounced dead at 10:04 p.m. The Attala County Coroner sent his body to the Mississippi State Crime Lab for an autopsy to determine the official cause of death.

Ashford grew up in Ethel, worked for a time at Tyson Foods, later became self-employed, and enjoyed fishing and hunting. The Attala County Sheriff’s Department sought the public’s help in identifying two people of interest, 46-year-old Timothy James Potts and 23-year-old Brittani Paige Raney, both from McCool. Tips from local residents helped investigators locate them.

On December 23, 2024, Potts and Raney were found and taken into custody after a joint effort by the Attala County Sheriff’s Office and the Kosciusko Police Department. Potts was charged with murder and Raney was charged with accessory after the fact; the investigation into the circumstances of the shooting is ongoing. If anyone knew Leotha, saw activity around Hannah Heights Apartments that night, or has information about the case, please share what is known.