Two Men Originally from Columbus Arrested, Charged with Killing Colorado Man

Lowndes County Sheriff's Office deputies have arrested two men for the murder of a man from Colorado after a drug deal ended with his death.

At 8:21 a.m. on September 2, 2024, a report was called in to Lowndes County E-911 regarding a body found in the southern part of Lowndes County. The body was discovered at the entrance of the Luxapallila Creek Park.

Lowndes County MurderPhoto bypixabay

When deputies arrived at the scene, they found the body inside a vehicle that had been burned. Detectives with the Criminal Investigation Division, CID, arrived at the scene. The vehicle was identified as a 1999 Lexus RS SUV from Colorado, and the driver is thought to be Elias Eugene Trudell, age 23, of Colorado Springs, Colorado.

According to a press release from Lowndes County Sheriff's Office, the detectives found Jaleen Young, nicknamed "Gee," age 24 of Starkville, as well as Kenneth Jones, nicknamed "KJ," of Denton, Texas, as the suspects in the murder, as they were the last to be seen with the victim. The two, both from Columbus originally, were arrested and charged with murder.

Further investigation led detectives to the discovery that Malachi James Salus and Trudell were transporting drugs from Colorado Springs to Columbus. A transaction was poised to take place in Columbus, but the deal did not go as planned.

Salus and Young originally arranged the drug deal through social media messages around the date of August 31, 2024. Salus arranged a meeting with Young to deliver the drugs after they arrived on Sunday afternoon. Young came to the meeting with Kenneth Jones, Issac Harris, nicknamed "Buck," age 19, Treveon Little, age 23, Makye Butler, age 19, and David Hall, nicknamed "Mac Critta," age 25.

During the trip to Columbus, Salus and Trudell concocted a plan to rob Young, taking the drug money. However, the plot thickens. Young had made his own plan to rob Salus and Trudell, taking the money, their drugs, and the vehicle. At the initial meeting location, Salus and Trudell were separated to be transported to a second meeting spot for the actual transaction.

Trudell was being driven in the Colorado vehicle with Young and Jones. Trudell was shot along the way to the second location. His body was taken to the spot where it was later discovered, at the entrance of Luxapallila Creek Park.

The body has not been positively identified yet, nor has the official cause of death been declared. The Mississippi Office of the State Medical Examiner has not yet released the autopsy results. That being said, investigators have reported that the body has "obvious signs of trauma" that a fire would not have caused.

Salus, Harris, Little, Butler, Hall, and Jones will face charges of conspiracy to traffic a controlled substance. Butler and Hall will also face charges of accessory after the fact of Murder.

Hall is also wanted by the Columbus Police Department for his connection to two different Columbus shootings.

Young, Jones, Butler, and Hall are currently being held in custody at the Lowndes County Adult Detention Center. Young is being held in Oktibbeha County due to his connection to a 2022 shooting. The other defendants were charged and are out on bond.

More information will be released as it becomes available.