Mississippi
Madison Co. man who killed 13-year-old boy loses another round in Mississippi Supreme Court
JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) – The state’s highest court has denied a death row inmate’s request for discovery to determine whether his attorney failed him during the jury selection process.
On Thursday, the Mississippi Supreme Court ruled that Tony Terrell Clark’s petition to appeal a lower court’s order denying discovery should be upheld.
Clark, who was sentenced to death in 2018 for killing a 13-year-old boy working at his father’s convenience store, argued his attorney failed to provide the court proof that several Black jurors had been improperly dismissed from his case, while several white jurors were allowed to remain.
The Mississippi Court of Appeals rejected Clark’s motion for discovery seeking documentation to back up his claims.
In a one-page order, the Supreme Court rejected his petition to appeal that decision.
It’s a ruling that Justice Leslie King decried in a seven-page response.
“This court consistently finds that defendants have not proved pretext when the state strikes Black jurors,” he wrote. “This court now hinders a defendant’s attempt to prove pretext. It seems to demand that defense counsel go above and beyond, and read the collective mind of the state’s prosecutors in order to show pretext, but when a defendant attempts to conduct a thorough investigation to meet this court’s impossibly high standards of proof… this court denies him the opportunity.”
Clark argues that three Black jurors were dismissed because the state alleged that they shared the same last names as others who had been arrested and convicted in Madison County.
However, Clark alleges that several white jurors also shared names with “people prominent in the Madison County criminal justice system,” but no list proving that was ever provided.
He claims that his attorney should have sought that information during the voir dire, but the attorney did not.
King wrote that appellate procedure rules allow for discovery in death penalty post-conviction proceedings to gather information that could support applying for relief.
“Notably, the petitioner need not prove to any certain degree that the discretionary discovery will render his petition for post-conviction relief successful; he [needs] only show that it is ‘likely’ to be ‘helpful’ in the ‘investigation, preparation, and presentation’ of the issues,” King wrote. “Thus, if it is ‘likely’ to be ‘helpful’ merely in furthering better investigation, it should be granted.”
King goes on to say that this is Clark’s first petition for post-conviction relief, and he likely would lose additional discovery rights on future PCRs.
“Thus, this is likely his only substantive bite at this apple,” he wrote.
King was joined by Justice Jim Kitchens.
The majority order was written by Justice Dawn Beam. She was joined by Justices Michael Randolph, Josiah Coleman, James Maxwell, Robert Chamberlin, David Ishee, and Kenneth Griffis.
The ruling comes about a year after the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear his appeal, arguing that Clark’s sentence should be vacated and replaced with life without parole after the state unfairly disqualified potential Black jurors.
The jury had 11 white members, one Black member, and two white alternates.
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A 1-year-old boy was fatally shot by a Mississippi cop who fired at a car the tot’s mother and aunt were fleeing in through a Walmart parking lot after allegedly stealing diapers.
Kohen Wiley, 1, was killed and another woman in their car was critically injured when a cop opened fire at their vehicle in a Walmart parking lot in Senatobia, Mississippi.
Kohen’s family told WREG that his mother was holding him in the front passenger seat while his aunt drove. It’s not clear if Kohen’s mother or aunt was the woman critically injured.
Officers from the Senatobia Police Department and the Tate County Sheriff’s Department were responding to a reported shoplifting at the Walmart when they spotted the suspects’ car driving away, according to a statement from the Mississippi Department of Public Safety obtained by Mississippi Today.
The DPS claimed that the driver sped in the officers’ direction and almost hit one cop while they were trying to stop the car. It was at that moment that an officer fired at the car, according to the statement.
Video footage obtained by WREG showed at least one bullet hole in the front windshield of the car. The passenger-side window was also severely damaged.
The family drove themselves to a nearby hospital, where little Kohen died.
The tot’s surviving family is demanding answers for how a shoplifting response could turn so violent. They also disputed speculations that Kohen’s mother and aunt were stealing diapers from the megastore.
“We don’t really know anything, why it happened or whatever. All we know is that car was shot up and a one-year-old baby was killed,” Carolyn Stokes, Kohen’s great-grandmother, told WREG.
“I’m just at a loss for words, to be honest. Somebody needs to held accountable for it,” Carlos Haynes, Kohen’s grandfather, added.
A woman who witnessed the shooting told the outlet that she heard gunshots echo across the parking lot as cops chased the car, but assumed officers hadn’t opened fire in broad daylight, since “this is Walmart.”
A separate witness told the outlet that he saw law enforcement waiting in the parking lot before Kohen’s mother and aunt exited the store, one holding a box of diapers while the other cradled the toddler.
The Senatobia Police Department turns its investigation over to the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation.
Tate County Sheriff Luke Shepherd told Mississippi Today that the department is also doing an independent investigation to determine if any of the deputies involved in the shooting will be placed on leave.
Eight Mississippi public schools are being recognized for their support of military families and children of those who serve in the U.S. armed forces.
The Mississippi Department of Education acknowledged the following educational facilities as new Military Star Schools for 2026-28:
- Hattiesburg High School
- Callaway High School
- Jim Hill High School
- Baxterville School
- Lumberton Elementary
- Sumrall High School
- New Hope Lower Elementary
- Ocean Springs High School
According to the department, Military Star Schools must meet specific requirements that address the unique needs of military students and families. These include appointing a dedicated school liaison for military families, providing student-led transition services and peer support, ensuring professional development for staff to respond to the needs of military students and families, and publicly recognizing service members and their families.
Gov. Tate Reeves established the Military Star School program in February 2022, making Mississippi one of 31 states at that time with a formal program to recognize schools that support military families. In 2025, 18 schools earned the designation for 2025-27.
The Military Star School program is designed to help schools respond to the educational and social-emotional challenges military-connected children face during their transition to a new school and keep them on track to be college, workforce and life-ready. “Military-connected” refers to children of service members on active duty and in the National Guard and Reserves.
The Military Star School designation remains in effect for two years. Schools can reapply to maintain the designation. New schools can apply to receive the designation between Dec. 1, 2026, and Feb. 15, 2027. There are now 103 Military Star Schools in Mississippi. The full list can be found here.
East Nashville defensive back Ke’Vontae Pitts committed to Mississippi State football after his official visit on June 14, he announced on X.
Pitts, a 6-foot, 175-pound junior, picked the Bulldogs over offers that included Memphis, Arkansas State, East Carolina, Charlotte and Austin Peay.
It was a swift recruitment from Mississippi State coach Jeff Lebby’s staff, which had just offered Pitts on June 9.
Pitts does not have a ranking with 247Sports but has 12 offers from FBS and FCS programs.
Pitts intercepted four passes in 2025 while helping East Nashville reach the TSSAA football Class 2A state quarterfinals. He also had 60 tackles and three punt returns for touchdowns.
He was scheduled to take an official visit to Memphis on June 19.
Tyler Palmateer covers high school sports for The Tennessean. Have a story idea for Tyler? Reach him at tpalmateer@tennessean.com and on the X platform, @tpalmateer83.
He also contributes to The Tennessean’s high school sports newsletter, The Bootleg. Subscribe to The Bootleg here.
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