Mississippi
Suspect in woman's 2023 murder in Houston escapes courthouse in Mississippi, authorities say
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — A man charged with murdering a woman in Houston in 2023 walked out of the doors of a courthouse in Mississippi on Friday and is now on the run, according to authorities.
Joshua Zimmerman, 30, is accused of killing 23-year-old Keyanna Mercer at the Red Carpet Inn at 6868 Hornwood on Sept. 2, 2023.
He was captured on Sept. 29, 2023, by officers with the Southaven Police Department in Mississippi on separate felony charges, including attempted murder, armed robbery, felon in possession of a firearm, and a charge in relation to the theft of a car.
Houston police said he would eventually be extradited back to Harris County.
On Friday, De Soto County District Attorney Matthew Barton said Zimmerman was being brought to the courthouse for a hearing with several other inmates.
As Zimmerman and the other inmates walked up the stairs toward the courtroom in jail uniforms and ankle and wrist shackles, Zimmerman was able to leave the single-file line without anyone noticing. Barton said Zimmerman went through an unlocked door into another hallway, where he completely changed clothes and removed his shackles.
Surveillance video captured portions of Zimmerman’s escape. He is seen leaving the courthouse in khaki pants, a white shirt, and a khaki headpiece.
Barton said he was not given an explanation for how this could have happened. He said Zimmerman is a career criminal who needs to be caught immediately.
U.S. Marshals are involved in the search for Zimmerman, who has ties in Memphis and Connecticut.
In the Houston case, people in neighboring rooms and employees of the motel reported to police that there had been violent fights happening between Zimmerman and Mercer prior to her death. Mercer was found dead with a gunshot wound to the head in the doorway of the room. Charging documents note that Zimmerman’s possessions had been left behind, but he was gone.
Charging documents specifically said that Mercer’s whereabouts were being tracked by law enforcement out of Connecticut because she was believed to be traveling with a known fugitive who was using multiple fake identities.
Zimmerman had been convicted in Connecticut in 2018 of criminal possession of a firearm.
A $10,000 reward is being offered for his capture. Those with information are asked to call 1-800-336-0102.
For more on this story, follow Mycah Hatfield on Facebook, X and Instagram.
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Here’s the nominees for Clarion Ledger girls Athlete of the Week for May 4-9
Here’s the five nominees for the Clarion Ledger girls Mississippi high school Athlete of the Week for May 4-9.
There were several top performers across the state in girls high school sports, but only one can be voted as the Clarion Ledger athlete of the week for May 4-9.
Fans may vote in the poll BELOW one time per hour per device. The poll closes at noon on Friday.
To nominate a future athlete of the week, email mchavez@gannett.com or message him on X, formerly Twitter, @MikeSChavez.
To submit high school scores, statistics, records, leaders and other items at any time, email mchavez@gannett.com.
Nominations
Kara Applewhite, Sumrall: Applewhite had four hits with a home run and five RBIs in Sumrall’s 10-0 win against East Central.
Caydance Brumfield, West Marion: Brumfield produced four hits and five RBIs in West Marion’s two wins against Pisgah.
Addison Collum, West Union: Collum pitched eight innings and recorded seven strikeouts and only two earned runs in West Union’s wins against Smithville.
Addison Cornish, West Lauderdale: Cornish recorded five hits and a home run in West Lauderdale’s wins against Choctaw Central.
Addison Davis, George County: Davis pitched nine innings with 20 strikeouts and recorded two home runs and four RBIs in George County’s wins against Pearl River Central.
Michael Chavez covers high school sports for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at mchavez@gannett.com or reach out to him on X, formerly Twitter @MikeSChavez.
‘We’re doing this to decrease the pressure we get early in the season. We’re trying to move that pressure on into later in the season.’
Bobcat stalks and strikes at Wisconsin turkey hunter
Turkey hunter Carson Bender of Wisconsin Rapids recorded a video of a bobcat that stalked and lunged at him as he hunted April 18, 2026 near Nekoosa, Wis.
Carson Bender
If a proposal made in the April meeting of the Mississippi Commission on Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks is finalized, nonresident turkey hunters will see big changes in the 2027 spring turkey season.
“We’re doing this in a way to impact how hunting pressure occurs and how the harvest happens in the early season,” said Caleb Hinton, Wild Turkey Program coordinator for the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks. “We’re doing this to decrease the pressure we get early in the season. We’re trying to move that pressure on into later in the season.”
Turkey hunters enjoy a three-bird bag limit and a little more than six weeks of hunting in spring, which is similar to some other states. What is at issue is when it opens. March 15 is the typical opening date for the regular season, making it one of the earliest in the nation.
That early opening date combined with a growing trend among turkey hunters is where the problem lies.
Mississippi is a destination for early season, nonresident hunters
Possibly more than any other group of hunters, turkey hunters like to travel. For some, it may be a matter of seeing a different landscape and hunting birds under condions they don’t encounter in their home state. For others it may be a quest to harvest each of the subspecies in North America.
For yet another group, it’s the challenge of harvesting a gobbler in each of the 49 states that have turkeys.
“It seems to be getting more and more popular every year,” Hinton said.
Regardless of why a turkey hunter chooses to travel, it puts a target on Mississippi’s back because for the first few weeks of the season, it’s almost the only game in town, so hunters flock to the state.
In an effort to curb the amount of hunting pressure in those first weeks of turkey season, MDWFP proposed limiting nonresident hunters to two legal gobblers per season and only one of those can be harvested before April 1.
“Hopefully, it will help curb the massive influx of pressure we get the first week or two of the season,” Hinton said.
When will turkey season changes for nonresidents be voted on?
The proposed changes aren’t the first that have been geared toward alleviating pressure on turkeys in the early part of the season by nonresidents. In 2022, the commission passed a rule requiring nonresident hunters to enter a drawing for a hunt on public land during the first two weeks of turkey season. Currently, the number of hunters drawn is limited to 800.
Like that change, the current proposal will pass or fail by a vote of the wildlife commission. In the April commission meeting, the proposal passed an initial vote. It is now in a 30-day public comment period and a final vote will be taken in the May meeting.
Public comments may be submitted at https://www.mdwfp.com/proposed-rules-regulations.
A lifelong outdoorsman and wildlife enthusiast, Brian Broom has been writing about hunting, fishing and Mississippi’s outdoors for the Clarion Ledger for more than 14 years. He can be reached at 601-961-7225 or bbroom@gannett.com.
Mississippi
Mississippi high school addresses social media post, says it won’t tolerate racism or harassment
LAUDERDALE COUNTY, Miss. (WLBT) – A Mississippi high school has made a statement after a social media post involving a student surfaced.
Northeast Lauderdale High School officials say they’re reviewing a social media post involving a student.
In a statement, the school said administrators are aware of the post and are “reviewing the situation.”
The school said it is committed to maintaining a safe, orderly and respectful environment for students and staff.
“Neither our district nor our school accept or condone racism, discrimination, harassment, or behavior that is inconsistent with the expectations of our school community,” the statement said.
Officials said they are working with the appropriate parties and will address the matter in accordance with district policies and procedures.
The school added that it cannot share additional details because of student privacy laws.
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Copyright 2026 WLBT. All rights reserved.
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