On the night of Monday, October 13, 2025, 20-year-old Decedric Boosie Stampley was brought to Copiah County Medical Center in Hazlehurst, Mississippi, with a gunshot wound and died despite medical care. A 2023 graduate of Jefferson County High School, he worked at Wayne’s Farm and was described as someone who enjoyed horseback riding, hunting, and fishing.

The Copiah County Sheriff’s Office was notified at about 11:10 p.m. and immediately opened a homicide investigation. In the days afterward investigators named Artavius Hillard as a person of interest and said they were searching for him; authorities described Hillard as armed and dangerous and warned the public not to approach him. Anyone with information was asked to contact the Sheriff’s Office or Crime Stoppers.

Stampley’s family and community remember him as humble and respectful and a joy to be around. Does anyone in Hazlehurst have information that could help investigators locate Hillard or clarify what happened that night?