Mississippi jail escapee pleads guilty to murder, carjacking. He and two other escapees terrorized community for four days before their capture.

A Mississippi teen has pleaded guilty to the murder of a man who went missing for three months before his body was found in the woods with a gunshot wound to the head.

Tayshon Holmes of Natchez pleaded guilty to second-degree murder for the 2021 killing of Bill Calvin Jr. Holmes also pleaded guilty to a carjacking that happened after he and two others escaped a Hinds County juvenile facility in 2024.

Holmes, then 15, was identified as the person responsible for shooting and killing Calvin, 19, who went missing in July 2021. Adams County deputies discovered Calvin’s body on October 25 of that year in a wooded area near Morgantown Road. Sheriff Travis Patten credited the discovery to collaboration with Concordia Parish Sheriff’s Office and the use of cadaver dogs. The investigation revealed that Holmes fatally shot Calvin in the head.

According to The Natchez Democrat, Holmes also pleaded guilty to a separate carjacking incident that occurred outside Stanton Baptist Church in Natchez on January 8, 2024. Holmes and two others, Jashon Jones and Robert Earl Smith, escaped from a juvenile facility in Hinds County on January 7 and stole a van, eventually making their way to Natchez. The trio terrorized the community for four days before being captured by Natchez Police and Adams County Sheriff’s deputies, with assistance from multiple surrounding agencies.

Judge Debra Blackwell sentenced Holmes to a total of 40 years—30 years for the homicide and 10 years for the carjacking, both to be served consecutively. District Attorney Tim Cotton emphasized that the plea deal was only accepted with the full support of Calvin’s family and the carjacking victim. Holmes’ co-defendants, Smith and Jones, have also pleaded guilty to their roles in the crimes. Cotton and Patten praised the work of law enforcement and the DA’s office for their efforts in bringing justice to the victims and ensuring the safety of the community.