On the afternoon of March 7, 1995, William Savage, 58 and manager of a Hernando, Mississippi cotton mill, was shot and killed in his office around 5:00 PM. Savage, described as having worked at the mill for 30 years and active in the town’s affairs, was reportedly approached by a young couple who asked for directions. As he stood to help, Benjamin James Darras produced a .38 caliber revolver and shot Savage in the head; a second shot was fired after a brief struggle. The pair took two one-hundred dollar bills and Savage’s credit cards from his wallet before fleeing. An insurance salesman making a routine call later discovered Savage’s body.

The attack was followed by further violence when the couple traveled to Ponchatoula, Louisiana, where a convenience store clerk, Patsy Byers, was shot and left paralyzed. The crimes attracted widespread attention and prompted civil litigation that was later dismissed. Any readers with information about Savage, the events in Hernando on March 7, 1995, or who knew him are asked to come forward.