On the evening of April 6, 2016, Mitchell Earl Weathersby, 54, was playing dominoes with his brother and a friend outside in his North Gulfport, Mississippi neighborhood when two armed men approached and demanded money. Shots were fired during the robbery; Weathersby was shot in the back and his companions were also wounded. He managed to get into his car and, according to family, may have been trying to drive to the hospital but crashed into a utility pole across U.S. 49 and was pronounced dead at Garden Park Hospital later that evening.

Known as Mitch Earl, he was a longtime Gulfport resident and a manager at a local Popeyes Fried Chicken. Family described him as kind, compassionate, and a central presence at gatherings; he had moved back in with his mother while dealing with health issues and encouraged younger relatives to do their best.

Investigators identified two suspects, J Var Vontou Pope and Robert Emil Hart. Witnesses said the pair had planned the robbery earlier that day. Evidence introduced at trial placed Hart, who was wearing a GPS ankle monitor, near the scene; Hart allegedly took money while Pope fired a 12-gauge shotgun that struck all three victims, and the shotgun was recovered at Pope’s grandmother’s home. Both men had prior felony convictions and were charged with capital murder, armed robbery, and aggravated assault. Would anyone who knew Mitchell or was in North Gulfport that night step forward with information?