Pass Christian man guilty of manslaughter in Bay bar shooting

A Pass Christian man was found guilty Thursday in the 2021 killing of a man at the Third Base Lounge in Bay St. Louis.

35-year-old Joseph Haynes was found guilty of manslaughter after a three-day trial. The jury took just one hour to render the verdict in the death of 23-year-old Jermaine “Red” Watts of Gulfport.

According to testimony at trial, Watts had been in an argument with bar patrons over a vehicle. During the argument, witnesses say Haynes walked up to Watts and fired multiple shots, hitting him four times. Watts was unarmed.

Haynes testified at trial that he fired at Watts in self defense.

A sentencing date has not been set. Haynes faces up to 20 years in prison.

“We are proud of the hard work that was done by law enforcement to ensure justice for the victim and his family,” said District Attorney Crosby Parker. “This was a difficult case that involved several complex challenges, but it was clear that Jermaine Watts should not have died that night in Bay St. Louis, and we are pleased that the jury agreed with this conclusion.”