Mississippi
6 former Mississippi law officers to be sentenced for torture of 2 Black men
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Six former Mississippi law enforcement officers who pleaded guilty to a long list of state and federal charges for torturing two Black men will be sentenced by a federal judge starting Tuesday.
U.S. District Judge Tom Lee will sentence two defendants each day on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday after twice delaying the proceedings. Each faces the potential of decades behind bars.
The former law officers admitted in August to subjecting Michael Corey Jenkins and Eddie Terrell Parker to numerous acts of racially motivated, violent torture. In a January 2023 episode, the group of six burst into a Rankin County home without a warrant and assaulted Michael Corey Jenkins and Eddie Parker with stun guns, a sex toy and other objects.
The terror began on Jan. 24, 2023, with a racist call for extrajudicial violence.
A white person phoned Rankin County Deputy Brett McAlpin and complained that two Black men were staying with a white woman at a house in Braxton, Mississippi. McAlpin told Deputy Christian Dedmon, who texted a group of white deputies so willing to use excessive force they called themselves “The Goon Squad.”
Once inside, they handcuffed Jenkins and his friend Eddie Terrell Parker and poured milk, alcohol and chocolate syrup over their faces. They forced them to strip naked and shower together to conceal the mess. They mocked the victims with racial slurs and shocked them with stun guns.
After a mock execution went awry when Jenkins was shot in the mouth, they devised a coverup that included planting drugs and a gun. False charges stood against Jenkins and Parker for months.
Ahead of sentencing, Jenkins and Parker called for the “stiffest of sentences” at a news conference Monday.
“It’s been very hard for me, for us,” Jenkins said. “We are hoping for the best and preparing for the worst.”
Jenkins suffered a lacerated tongue and broken jaw. He still has trouble speaking and eating.
Malik Shabazz, an attorney representing both men, said the result of the sentencing hearings could have national implications.
“Michael Jenkins and Eddie Parker continue to suffer emotionally and physically since this horrific and bloody attack by Rankin County deputies,” Shabazz said. “A message must be sent to police in Mississippi and all over America, that level of criminal conduct will be met with the harshest of consequences.”
Months before federal prosecutors announced charges in August 2023, an investigation by The Associated Press linked some of the deputies to at least four violent encounters with Black men since 2019 that left two dead and another with lasting injuries.
The officers charged include McAlpin, Dedmon, Hunter Elward, Jeffrey Middleton and Daniel Opdyke of the Rankin County Sheriff’s Department and Joshua Hartfield, a Richland police officer. They pleaded guilty to charges including conspiracy against rights, obstructions of justice, deprivation of rights under color of law, discharge of a firearm under a crime of violence, and conspiracy to obstruct justice.
Most of their lawyers did not immediately respond to emails requesting comment Monday. Jason Kirschberg, representing Opdyke, said: “Daniel has accepted responsibility for his actions, and his failures to act. … He has admitted he was wrong and feels deep remorse for the pain he caused the victims.”
On the federal charges, Dedmon and Elward each face a maximum sentence of 120 years plus life in prison and $2.75 million in fines. Hartfield faces a possible sentence of 80 years and $1.5 million, McAlpin faces 90 years and $1.75 million, Middleton faces 80 years and $1.5 million, and Opdyke could be sentenced to 100 years with a $2 million fine.
The former officers agreed to prosecutor-recommended sentences ranging from five to 30 years in state court, but time served for separate convictions at the state level will run concurrently with the potentially longer federal sentences.
The majority-white Rankin County is just east of the state capital, Jackson, home to one of the highest percentages of Black residents of any major U.S. city.
The officers warned Jenkins and Parker to “stay out of Rankin County and go back to Jackson or ‘their side’ of the Pearl River,” court documents say, referencing an area with higher concentrations of Black residents.
In the gruesome crimes committed by men tasked with enforcing the law, federal prosecutors saw echoes of Mississippi’s dark history, including the 1964 killing of three civil rights workers after a deputy handed them off to the Ku Klux Klan.
For months, Rankin County Sheriff Bryan Bailey, whose deputies committed the crimes, said little about the episode. After the officers pleaded guilty in August, Bailey said the officers had gone rogue and promised to change the department. Jenkins and Parker have called for his resignation, and they have filed a $400 million civil lawsuit against the department.
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Michael Goldberg is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow him at @mikergoldberg.
One series remains in the regular season and Ole Miss and Mississippi State baseball are in similar situations.
Both are locks for the NCAA Tournament but are on the bubble for hosting a regional.
The Tennessean’s latest bracket projections have both the Rebels and Bulldogs as two of the 16 national seeds, but that is not solidified yet.
Finding wins in the final series, and possibly the SEC Tournament too, are necessary. Both teams close the regular season on the road against ranked teams that are also projected to host regionals.
The No. 12 Bulldogs (38-14, 15-12 SEC) play at No. 10 Texas A&M (37-12, 16-10). The No. 19 Rebels (35-18, 14-13) play at No. 16 Alabama (35-17, 16-11). Both series begin May 14 (6 p.m., SEC Network+).
Here’s a look at the different scenarios for Ole Miss and Mississippi State to host NCAA Tournament regionals.
Mississippi State, Ole Miss hosting scenarios for NCAA Tournament
Ole Miss and Mississippi State getting swept could knock them completely out of the hosting conversation, barring a deep run in the SEC Tournament. However, SEC Tournament wins are not always viewed the same as SEC regular-season wins by the selection committee.
Mississippi State is in a slightly better spot than Ole Miss. The Bulldogs’ RPI is at No. 12, one spot ahead of Ole Miss. They are tied for sixth in the SEC standings, while Ole Miss is ninth.
The Bulldogs also went 4-0 against Ole Miss, which could give them the edge if the final hosting seed came down to those two teams.
The Tennessean projects MSU as the No. 12 national seed and the Rebels as the No. 13 seed. D1Baseball and Baseball America also project MSU to host, however they both have Ole Miss as a No. 2 seed.
That could mean Ole Miss needs two wins against Alabama, while MSU may be fine with just one win at Texas A&M. If Ole Miss wins one game at Alabama, it probably would need multiple wins in the SEC Tournament.
Mississippi State winning two games at Texas A&M could keep it in contention for a top eight seed. Ole Miss and Mississippi State sweeping their series obviously would, too.
Getting a top eight seed is advantageous because that means you are guaranteed to host a super regional.
Who Ole Miss, Mississippi State fans should root against
It will help Ole Miss and Mississippi State if teams near them in the projections lose, too. That would be teams like Oregon, West Virginia, Wake Forest, Nebraska, Oregon State and Kansas.
Oregon hosts Southern Cal, Nebraska plays at Minnesota, Kansas plays at BYU, Wake Forest plays at Duke, Oregon State hosts Air Force and West Virgina hosts TCU.
How NCAA Tournament history could be made in Mississippi
If everything falls the right way, there’s a chance Mississippi State, Ole Miss and Southern Miss all host NCAA Tournament regionals. That’s never happened.
The No. 9 Golden Eagles (37-14, 19-8 Sun Belt) are projected by The Tennessean as the No. 10 national seed, just ahead of MSU and Ole Miss.
Southern Miss plays a home series against Georgia Southern (15-37, 7-20) at Pete Taylor Park beginning May 14 (7 p.m., ESPN+).
Sam Sklar is the Mississippi State beat reporter for The Clarion Ledger. Email him at ssklar@usatodayco.com and follow him on X @sklarsam_.
MUNCIE, IN — A Muncie man accused of shooting two local residents was arrested by U.S. marshals on the early morning of Wednesday, May 13, in Jackson, Mississippi.
De Vonte Marquise Williams, 32, is charged with two counts of attempted murder, a Level 1 felony carrying up to 40 years in prison, in the April 26 shootings at a home in the 1600 block of East Second Street.
One victim, a man, was shot in the “shoulder/back area,” according to an affidavit.
The other victim, a woman, had a gunshot wound in her buttocks, the document said.
According to Melissa Criswell, deputy chief for the Muncie Police Department, Williams on Wednesday afternoon was being held in Mississippi, awaiting extradition proceedings.
Criswell said the arrest was the result of a joint effort involving the MPD and other agencies, including the U.S. Marshal’s Service, Indiana State Police and the Delaware County Sheriff’s Department.
According to court records, Williams has been convicted of crimes including possession of cocaine, carrying a handgun without a license and leaving the scene of an accident.
Douglas Walker is a news reporter at The Star Press. Contact him at 765-213-5851 or at dwalker@muncie.gannett.com.
STARKVILLE — Vaida Valincius estimates she used to drive about 60,000 miles per year to watch her two sons, Tomas and Vytas, play baseball.
The Valinicius family is from Lockport, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, but the brothers have played all over the United States.
Vytas and Tomas are three years apart, so they very rarely played on the same team. Vaida did her best to be there, whether it was in California, Arizona, Tennessee, South Carolina, Virginia or greater Illinois.
“I put down like three cars I think,” Vaida told The Clarion Ledger.
But finally, after years of countless hours in the car to watch her sons play baseball, it all came full circle at Mississippi State.
Vytas, an outfielder and the older brother, and Tomas, a starting pitcher, both transferred to Mississippi State for the 2026 season but from different schools. It was a perfect reunion for Vytas’ final year of eligibility.
The brothers live together in a house and got a dog named Sergei. They get along well but, like typical competitive brothers, still banter over small things. Like who wins in a wrestling battle, or if Vytas batted closer to .500 or .100 against Tomas in fall scrimmages.
And making it even more special is that Vaida has been living with her sons in Starkville this season. She said there was “no question” she would be doing it, and the boys were welcoming.
The No. 12 Bulldogs (38-14, 15-12 SEC) begin a three-game series at No. 10 Texas A&M (37-12, 16-10) starting May 14 (6 p.m., SEC Network+) to conclude the regular season.
Vaida’s drive for home games at Dudy Noble Field has been just a few miles.
“It’s been great,” Vytas said in a joint interview with Tomas. “She cooks, cleans and does stuff for us. It makes our life easier.”
Valincius brothers had unusual path to baseball through immigrant parents
Vaida grew up in Lithuania, which at the time was controlled by the Soviet Union. At 7 years old, she was taken from her parents to train to be an Olympic cyclist until the Soviet Union fell in 1991.
In 1999, she immigrated to the United States.
“I had no English, no money and no friends,” Vaida said.
Vaida eventually settled in Chicago where she met her husband, Jozef Wolyniec, also a Lithuanian immigrant who was a speed skater growing up.
So, they each had athletic backgrounds, but knew nothing about baseball. They mostly spoke Lithuanian at home and learned baseball through the kids. Their introduction to baseball came in strange ways.
One day, 5-year-old Vytas was playing Wiffle ball with the neighbors. Vytas hit a home run, and the neighbor told him to go home.
Vytas didn’t understand what that meant. So instead of running the bases, Vytas ran to his house.
“I’m watching through the window, and my English was not good at the time,” Vaida said. “I go to the neighbor like, ‘What’s the problem? Why are you saying that?’”
Tomas is a left-handed pitcher, and one time Vaida bought him the wrong glove.
“Tomas was like, ‘Mom, I don’t feel right. I don’t feel right throwing the ball,’” Vaida said. “I was like ‘I don’t care. Throw the ball.’ I had no clue that they had gloves for the lefties too.”
Valincius brothers transfer to Mississippi State included missed flight
Tomas and Vytas both played high school baseball at the Baylor School in Chattanooga, Tennessee, but not at the same time.
Vytas is on his fourth college team, playing at South Carolina in 2022, John A. Logan Community College in 2023, then Illinois in 2024 and 2025. He was an All-Big Ten second-team selection last season, leading the Illini with a .348 batting average.
Tomas played at Virginia as a freshman in 2025, posting a 4.59 ERA and 6-1 record in 13 appearances and 12 starts to make the All-ACC Freshman Team.
The first domino to get the brothers to Mississippi State fell when MSU coach Chris Lemonis was fired on April 28, 2025.
The Bulldogs hired Virginia’s Brian O’Connor as the new coach on June 1, about one hour after the season ended in the Tallahassee Regional final.
“I think it was quick,” Tomas said. “I didn’t even know it was a possibility that this could happen just because of our age gap and I didn’t really know any of the rules or anything. It kind of all just worked out as it did with Coach O’Connor coming here.”
The transfer portal opened June 2. O’Connor had his public introduction on June 5 at Dudy Noble Field. The brothers and their mom were in attendance but arrived just minutes before it started. They missed a connecting flight in Atlanta because they didn’t realize they were sitting at the wrong gate.
The brothers, their mom, three other players and a parent rented a car and frantically drove from Atlanta to Starkville.
“We rented a car and were like who’s driving?” Vaida said. “Then Tomas goes, ‘Well, if we want to make it, let my mom drive.’ I’m like, ‘OK, boys, we’re not stopping.’”
Tomas and Vytas committed to MSU on June 6, with Vytas receiving an extra year of eligibility.
How Valincius brothers are impacting Mississippi State with their mom
Vaida moved in with the boys in February, not long before opening day.
She helps them around the house and takes care of the dog. She makes sure dinner is ready for them at home after every game. The dog even accompanies her in the car for road games.
“It’s fun to watch them going through this,” Vaida said. “It would be a different story if I was at home and just came for the games. That would be, not an outsider, but I wouldn’t be used to it because I’m always with them. It’s a blessing for sure.”
Tomas has been one of the top starting pitchers in the SEC. He has an 8-2 record and ranks third in the SEC with a 2.52 ERA and second with 105 strikeouts. Tomas didn’t allow an earned run in his first 19 innings of conference play.
“For me, it’s nerve-wracking,” Vytas said about watching Tomas pitch. “I enjoy when he does good, but when there’s like runners on (base) I really stress out a lot for him. I don’t know. It’s my little brother.”
Vytas is batting .371 with two home runs, 16 RBIs and 15 runs in 28 games and 19 starts.
He hit his first home run of the season against Georgia on April 4. Tomas was one of the first players out of the dugout waiting to celebrate with Vytas after he rounded the bases.
“That was the first home run I think I’ve seen him hit since, I don’t know, him playing in high school, which was like sophomore year,” Tomas said. “So that was fun. I was hyped up. I was screaming and yelling.”
Vaida said her favorite moments of the season are whenever Vytas and Tomas are in the lineup together. That’s only happened three times this season.
The most recent one, May 7 against Auburn, was the best though. Tomas pitched 6⅔ innings with three runs allowed on 13 strikeouts and 112 pitches. Vytas hit three singles and drove in a run in a 10-3 MSU win.
Tomas has one more season until he’s eligible for the 2027 MLB Draft, where Baseball America recently ranked him as the No. 3 college prospect.
Vaida said she hasn’t made any decisions yet if she’ll live with Tomas next season.
“As a mom, it’s just been a pleasure to be around them and watch how they grow in every way,” Vaida said.
Sam Sklar is the Mississippi State beat reporter for The Clarion Ledger. Email him at ssklar@usatodayco.com and follow him on X @sklarsam_.
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