On Jan. 22, 2010, Pike County lawmen arrived at a single-widemobile home at the end of Huskey Lane east of Magnolia to find abizarre and gruesome scene.
Kenneth Connors, 64, and his wife Sandra, 59, lay dead on the floorfrom shotgun blasts. on a bed in a bedroom lay Kenneth’s brotherJames Richard Connors Jr., 57, alive but apparently drugged andcritically ill, while “Seinfeld” played on the TV in his room and alittle dog named Chico yapped defensively.
Now James Connors is on trial for murder and other charges in PikeCounty Circuit Court. Connors is accused of two counts murder, twocounts possession of a firearm and possession of stolen property —a Harley-Davidson motorcycle.
In opening statements Tuesday, assistant district attorney RodneyTidwell contended that James Connors shot Sandra in the back atpoint-blank range after an argument on Jan. 20, then shot Kennethfour times in the chest as he came up the front steps, then draggedhis body inside.
Tidwell said lawmen found a 12-gauge Mossberg pump shotgun withsawed-off stock and barrel on a table inside the front door, a softshotgun case in James’ closet with the same type shells as thoseused to kill the victims, a loaded pistol in the night stand byJames’ bed and a stolen Harley outside.
Defense attorney Paul Luckett countered that two strangers cameto buy drugs and wound up killing Kenneth and Sandra, then beatJames and forced crushed pain pills down his throat beforeleaving.
After lawmen arrived, an ambulance took James to SouthwestMississippi Regional Medical Center, where he was placed in theintensive care unit with acute renal failure, possible pneumonia,head trauma, pancreatitis and chest pain, among other symptoms,Luckett said.
On Tuesday afternoon, jurors heard from two neighbors, a familyfriend and a Pike County sheriff’s deputy.
Next-door neighbor Jackie Young said she heard four gunshots around4:30 or 5 p.m. Jan. 20. “I thought someone was just over therehunting,” she said.
She said she heard no other activity until the next night, when sheheard hammering from the property.
Neighbor Elizabeth Bowens said she also heard four shots butassumed it was a hunter. She said she heard no one come or go afterthe incident.
Bowens said Sandra had cancer and “was a real good neighbor.”
Jennifer Brooks of Magnolia said Sandra’s granddaughter called herfrom Houma, La., to check on Mrs. Connors, who had not answered thephone.
Brooks and her 10-year-old son went to the Connors’ trailer, thencalled the granddaughter, who drove to the scene and called911.
Deputy Mike Milholen said he found the doors locked but saw a bodyon the floor through a partially open window.
Huskey Lane is a dead-end dirt road at the end of Bowen Lane northof Union Church Road just west of Pike 93 Central five miles eastof Magnolia.
Tidwell said Sandra was shot in the back with a no. 6 shotgunshell. Kenneth was hit from the front with one buckshot shell andthree no. 4 shells.
A no. 6 shell was found in a trash can in the trailer, and an emptybuckshot casing was found in the trailer, and knives were scatteredaround James Connors’ room, Tidwell said.
Kenneth and Sandra reportedly had lived at the address for 10 or 15years, and James moved in about 11/2 years ago.
Assistant DA Robert Byrd is participating in the prosecution, whileToby Welch is assisting in the defense. Judge Mike Taylor ispresiding. Officials expect the trial to last through Thursday orFriday.