On a September morning in 1988, 47-year-old Panola County Deputy Sheriff Joe Kenneth Cosby drove to the Tunica County jail to pick up 20-year-old Jerry Wayne Mettetal for transport to court in Batesville. Cosby, a 13-year veteran who had known Mettetal previously, allowed him to sit in the front seat without handcuffs. While traveling on U.S. 51 just north of Batesville, Mettetal attacked, using a toothbrush he had sharpened in jail to cut Cosby’s throat. A struggle over the patrol car and the deputy’s service weapon forced the vehicle off the highway and into a cotton field.

Cosby’s handgun discharged during the struggle; Mettetal then gained control of the weapon and shot the deputy. A passerby found the patrol car about 20 yards off the road and discovered Cosby mortally wounded; he was taken to a local hospital but could not be revived. He was survived by his wife and two daughters. A massive manhunt led to Mettetal’s capture and indictment for the capital murder of Deputy Cosby.

Anyone with information about Cosby, his last hours, or the transport that morning is asked to share what they know.