Dewan Fortner, 29, was reported missing from Bolton, Mississippi, on February 25, 2019. His body was found in a wooded area behind an abandoned building on March 6, 2019; the Jackson Police Department determined he died of a gunshot wound.

Investigators identified an altercation at a residence in the Queens subdivision as the last known place Fortner was seen alive. Authorities arrested 44-year-old Cedric Taylor and charged him with murder and with being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm; Taylor was later granted a $125,000 bond. An 18-year-old, John McCray IV, was charged with accessory after the fact to murder for alleged involvement in events surrounding Fortner’s death.

While out on bond in the state case, Taylor faced federal firearm charges; in June 2020 he was sentenced to 71 months in federal prison on that federal count. The victim’s family says Taylor admitted in court to hiding Fortner’s body.

Did anyone in Bolton or the Queens subdivision see Fortner or notice anything unusual around the end of February 2019?