Crime
Victims killed in Christmas Eve shooting in Lauderdale County identified, suspect charged
The suspect, 50-year-old Joseph Spinks of Toomsuba, has been charged with three counts of murder.
Lauderdale County, MS – Sheriff Ward Calhoun has confirmed the tragic deaths of three victims following a Christmas Eve shooting in Lauderdale County.
The victims were identified as 64-year-old Johnnie L. Mosley of the Lauderdale community, 48-year-old Shunda Faye Brown of the Porterville community, and 15-year-old Treyvone Young, a student at Northeast Lauderdale High School who was just one day shy of his 16th birthday.
The suspect, 50-year-old Joseph Spinks of Toomsuba, has been charged with three counts of murder.
Sheriff Calhoun revealed that Spinks was already out on bond for a felony DUI charge at the time of the shooting.
Following these new charges, all previously issued bonds have been revoked.
Spinks is currently being held at the Lauderdale County Detention Facility without bond, pending a presentation of the case to the next available grand jury.
The shooting occurred on Christmas Eve at approximately 7:10 PM at a residence in the 9500 block of Northeast Cole Road.
According to Sheriff Calhoun, the Lauderdale County E-911 dispatch received reports that three individuals had been shot.
When deputies and Metro officers arrived at the scene, they discovered:
- One victim had been transported to a local hospital by car.
- A second victim, a female, was treated at the scene before being transported by ambulance.
- The third victim was unresponsive, prompting officials to contact Lauderdale County Coroner Stella McMahan.
Deputies immediately began gathering information on the suspect, who had fled the scene.
By approximately 9:30 PM, they located Spinks and his vehicle in the 7000 block of Welch Road. Spinks was apprehended at a nearby residence and taken into custody without incident.
Early the following morning, he was formally charged with murder and booked into the Lauderdale County Detention Facility.
Sheriff Calhoun stated that the investigation is ongoing and additional charges may be filed as more details emerge. Authorities are also pursuing leads on another person of interest who may have been involved in the shooting.
“This tragic event has left our community in mourning. We are working diligently to ensure justice is served for the victims and their families,” said Sheriff Calhoun.
The loss of 15-year-old Treyvone Young has deeply affected the local community, particularly his schoolmates and staff at Northeast Lauderdale High School. Sheriff Calhoun extended his condolences to the families of all three victims and assured the public that every effort is being made to bring clarity and accountability to this devastating incident.
Anyone with additional information regarding the case is urged to contact the Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Office.
Crime
St. Petersburg doctor 59-year-old Stephen Andrew Leedy arrested after allegedly instructing young girls to film sex acts while injuring themselves
St. Petersburg, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the arrest of Stephen Andrew Leedy (59, St. Petersburg) on charges related to the production of child sexual abuse material and coercion of minors to engage in sexual activity.
The Charges:
- Three counts of production of child sexual abuse material
- Two counts of coercing or enticing a minor to engage in sexual activity
Potential Penalty:
- Life in federal prison, if convicted on all counts
Leedy, a palliative care doctor in the Tampa Bay area, allegedly used the online alias “maximumuncle#9112” to exploit and abuse approximately ten minors.
Through online interactions, Leedy is accused of instructing these minors to produce sexually explicit content and to engage in self-harm, including cutting, choking, and hanging.
Tragically, one of the victims, identified as Minor Victim 1, was found deceased by hanging in November 2021, in a manner consistent with Leedy’s prior instructions.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal wrongdoing, and Leedy is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
This case is the result of a collaborative effort by the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, the FBI’s Tampa Office, with assistance from the St. Petersburg Police Department, the FBI’s Atlanta Office, and the Holly Springs Police Department.
The prosecution will be handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Abigail K. King and Ilyssa M. Spergel.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse.
Project Safe Childhood 1 unites federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who exploit children and to rescue victims.