Man accused of killing ex-wife, stepfather and 4 others in small Mississippi town
02/20/2023 10:17 am PST
ARKABUTLA, Miss. (TCD) -- A 52-year-old man is in custody after he allegedly went on a shooting spree last week and killed six people, including his ex-wife and stepfather.
On Friday, Feb. 17, the Tate County Sheriff's Office said in a statement the shootings occurred in three different locations around Arkabutla, a town of less than 300 people in northern Mississippi not far from the Tennessee border. The Sheriff's Office confirmed they arrested Richard Dale Crum for first-degree murder and said he will face additional charges for each victim.
He's being held in the Tate County Jail without bond.
According to The Associated Press, the Tate County Coroner's Office identified the victims as Debra Crum, 60, Chris Boyce, 59, George McCain, 73, Lynda McCain, 78, Charles Manuel, 76, and John Rorie, 59.
The Associated Press reports the shootings began at approximately 11 a.m. when Crum allegedly opened fire at a man sitting in his pickup truck outside a convenience store, who was later identified as Boyce. Boyce's brother was reportedly in the car with him when he was shot, but fled. Crum allegedly ran after him, but the brother was not injured.
Then, he allegedly went to a home nearby, killed his ex-wife, and injured her husband.
Deputies located Crum at his residence, where he shot and killed two others. He reportedly shot his stepfather and stepfather's sister at a home nearby.
Richard Crum has a history of mental illness, The Associated Press reports.
Debra Crum's boyfriend, George Drane, told The Associated Press he had not seen Richard Crum in several years prior to Feb. 17. Richard Crum allegedly hit Drane in the head and threatened him before shooting Debra Crum in the head.
Tate County Sheriff Brad Lance shared with The Associated Press, "Everybody has crime, and from time to time we have violent crime, but certainly nothing of this magnitude. Without being able to say what triggered this, that’s the scary part."
MORE:
TRUE CRIME DAILY: THE PODCAST covers high-profile and under-the-radar cases every week. Subscribe to our YouTube page for podcasts, exclusive videos, and more, and don’t forget to follow us on TikTok.
