Second suspect in Picayune man’s death convicted of capital murder

Dustin Gray

A Picayune man was convicted Thursday of capital murder in the 2020 death of a Willie R. Jones.

27-year-old Dustin Gray’s trial was this week. His half-brother, 21-year-old Austin Brookshire, was found guilty of first degree murder in May. He was sentenced to life in prison.

Gray and Brookshire planned to rob Jones of money he had stowed in a box. The pair shot Jones in the back seat of Gray’s car in Pearl River County, then dumped the body on Texas Flat Road in Hancock County.

Jones was reported missing July 6, 2020. His body was was found 11 days later. Pearl River County Coroner Derek Turnage said Jones died of multiple gunshot wounds to the chest.

After the murder, Gray tried to clean the car, but employees at a car wash refused after seeing the blood. His wife, Erica, charged as an accessory after the fact, allegedly tried to clean the car. The couple then fled to Pueblo, Colorado, where they were arrested and extradited back to Mississippi. A juvenile also was charged as accessory after the fact.

Gray’s father, attorney Jim Gray, turned his son’s vehicle over to police after finding blood in the car. According to reports from the Sun Herald, Gray received threats and his law office burned down as his son was on the run.

Dustin Gray has yet to be sentenced. was also charged as a murder suspect and two others, his wife Erica Gray, and a juvenile were accused of accessory after the fact of murder.

Willie Jones