Two men to spend life in prison for a 2022 shooting death in drug deal gone bad

A Harrison County jury on Thursday sentenced two men to prison for the 2022 murder of one man and armed robbery of another in a drug deal gone bad.

District Attorney W. Crosby Parker said 28-year-old Erick Hunt of Jackson and 32-year-old Richard Norman III of Gulfport were convicted by a jury two weeks ago. Sentencing was Thursday.

Both men were convicted of first-degree murder in the death of Anthony Oatis and armed robbery of Garrett White. They were both given life sentences for the murder and an additional 20 years for armed robbery.

A co-defendant, Eric Chopin, pleaded guilty to manslaughter and armed robbery before trial. He has not yet been sentenced.

During the 4-day trial, the jury heard testimony that Gulfport Police were called to C Avenue about 7 p.m. on June 27, 2022, in reference to a shooting. They found Oatis dead in his car after being shot once in the abdomen. Investigators also found a bullet in Oatis’ cell phone, which was between him and the center console of the car.

Police determined that Garrett was on scene at the time of the shooting.

The next morning Garrett White came to the police station and advised he was a witness to the homicide and a victim of an armed robbery occurring at the same time. White advised that he and Oatis were scheduled to meet Norman, Hunt, and Chopin at a location on 31st Street to purchase marijuana. White testified that when they arrived, he entered the car with Hunt and Chopin, while Norman got into the car with Oatis.

Shortly after getting in the car with Hunt and Chopin, White testified he saw Oatis and Norman in a struggle. White said he got out of the car to help Oatis and saw that Oatis and Norman were fighting over a gun. White said after he got out, Hunt and Chopin exited their car and both of them pulled out pistols and robbed him of his cell phone and money. He ran off and heard a gunshot while fleeing.

White was able to provide police a description of the car that defendants were in and told how they met the defendants earlier that day at a gas station in Gulfport.

Chopin, the co-defendant, who was 15 at the time, testified that Hunt and Norman picked him up in Moss Point and confirmed that they had met Oatis and White at a
gas station in Gulfport where the arrangement to sell marijuana was made.

Chopin said both parties met at a location near C Avenue and that White got into the car with him and Hunt to conduct the marijuana sale. Chopin said that when White exited their car, he and Hunt armed themselves with pistols, then robbed White of his cell phone and money.

Chopin testified that immediately after the robbery of White occurred, White fled. Chopin then said Hunt approached the car Oatis and Norman were in and fired one shot into the car.

Chopin said after the shooting, Norman re-entered their car with a gun and a large amount of money. Chopin said Hunt and Norman took him back to Moss Point after the shooting and robbery.

The jury deliberated for more than five hours before returning guilty verdicts of first-degree murder and armed robbery against Hunt and Norman. The jury also returned a guilty verdict of felon in possession of a weapon against Norman for the pistol he possessed during the robbery.