JCSD: Wanted suspect involved in Jones Co. murder case captured

JONES COUNTY, Miss. (WDAM) - The man wanted in connection to the murder of a Laurel woman whose body was found in the Leaf River Sunday has been captured.

According to the Jones County Sheriff’s Department, deputies captured 48-year-old Marty Breazeale, of Laurel, in a pine thicket overnight after responding to a suspicious person’s complaint near Bok Homa Casino.

During a press conference held on Tuesday at the sheriff’s department, officials recognized agencies that assisted with the overnight search and capture of Breazeale in Sandersville.

Agencies included:

• The Jones County Sheriff’s Department
• Jones County Emergency Operation Center
• The Mississippi High Patrol - Special Operations Group
• The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks
• Ellisville Police Department
• Laurel Police Department
• Sandersville Police Department
• Calhoun Fire & Rescue - Emergency Medical Responder
• Powers Fire & Rescue - EMR
• Rustin Fire & Rescue - EMR
• Sandersville Fire & Rescue - EMR
• Southwest Jones Fire & Rescue - EMR
• Bok Homa Casino employees and security team

JCSD Administrator Lance Chancellor announced Breazeale as a suspect Monday after the Mississippi Crime Lab identified the woman’s body as 32-year-old Brittany Nicole Holifield, of Laurel.

Chancellor also said that the crime lab confirmed that Holifield’s cause of death was determined to be blunt force trauma to the head, making the sheriff’s department rule the case as a homicide.

Once Breazeale was named the main suspect in the investigation, JCSD began a manhunt for him Monday in the area of Swamp Road, Red Hill Crossing Road, East Radio Road and Jennings Masters Road, along with other areas.

“We cannot say thanks enough to the many agencies and individuals who responded to assist us with this manhunt for Marty Breazeale,” said Jones County Sheriff Joe Berlin, “He will now face the justice for the heinous crime he is accused of committing.”

Breazeale has been charged with murder, according to the sheriff’s department, and is currently incarcerated in the Jones County Adult Detention Facility. He is set to make his initial appearance in Jones County Justice Court at 1 p.m. Wednesday.

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