Teen murder suspect stomped to death in Hinds County (MS) jail

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An 18-year-old killed in the Hinds County Detention Center in Raymond last week was stomped to death, the coroner said Thursday.

“It appeared he had shoe prints all over his head,” Hinds County Coroner Jeremiah Howard told Mississippi Today.

The teen, Mielun Butler, was booked in jail on July 1 after he was arrested in connection to a killing at a south Jackson apartment complex. By the morning of July 3, a video circulating on social media showed an unidentified person kicking his limp and bloodied body while he lay on the floor.

At a Monday press conference, Hinds County Sheriff Tyree Jones confirmed the authenticity of the video. He told Mississippi Today on Thursday that he placed a detention officer on administrative leave with pay this week. Jones said he would not share the officer’s name because the incident remains under investigation.

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Jones said he believed the incident could be gang-related but did not offer details.

“I think it’s no secret that some of the violence that we have been witnessing in our community has eventually spilled over into the jail,” he said. “We believe there may be a strong connection.”

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Butler was charged with murder in the fatal shooting of Melvin Edwards on June 13 in the 32-year-old’s home at the Pine Ridge Garden Apartments, which are known for deadly violence. He was the second man arrested and charged in connection to Edwards’ death.

At Butler’s initial appearance on July 2, Municipal Court Judge Jeffery Reynolds set a $1 million bond, an amount the judge acknowledged the teenager could not post.

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