Margaret Joyce Smith Sherry, 58, a Biloxi city councilwoman with mayoral ambitions, was found murdered with her husband, Circuit Court Judge Vincent Sherry, at their North Biloxi home. The couple were killed in an execution-style shooting on September 14, 1987, and discovered two days later. Margaret had been shot four times in the head; her husband was shot three times in the face. There were no signs of forced entry or robbery.

Investigators eventually tied the killings to a conspiracy rooted in the Dixie Mafia and a prison-run extortion scheme led by Kirksey McCord Nix Jr. The scheme funneled illicit funds through the law firm where Vincent Sherry was a partner with Peter Halat. When money went missing, Nix concluded Vincent Sherry was responsible and ordered a hit. Thomas Leslie Holcomb was identified as the hired shooter; Peter Halat was implicated for his role in the conspiracy and his political interest in eliminating a rival.

The case exposed connections between organized crime and local politics and resulted in arrests and convictions of key figures.