Connell Gray Jr. was sentenced to life in the Mississippi Department of Corrections last week for the first degree murder of Myrtle Messenger, 66, on March 14, 2015.
The three day trial saw the jury return Friday morning in Coahoma County Circuit Court and announce the verdict to Judge Al Smith. The jury took just less than an hour to come back with a finding of guilt.
Gray and Dantrell Jackson were both accused of going to Messenger’s house at 711 Poplar St. at 11 p.m. on the night of the murder, looking for Messenger’s grandson, Michael Messenger. Videos from the Bennie S. Gooden Estates apartments on Washington Avenue showed a disagreement between Jackson and Michael Messenger about Jackson’s girlfriend. Gray, who was 20 years old at the time of his arrest the following December, was hit in the face. Jackson was 19 years old at the time of his arrest nearly two weeks after the murder and his trial is expected to take place in February 2020.
Michael Messenger lived with his grandparents, Myrtle and the late George Messenger, at the time of the murder.
When Jackson and Gray arrived at 711 Poplar St., Myrtle Messenger answered the door, was shot in the neck and killed, according to Mark LeVaughan, chief medical examiner for the state of Mississippi.
District attorney Brenda Mitchell and prosecutor Rosherwin Williams admitted Jackson’s gun – a .357 revolver -- killed Messenger, but they also pointed out Gray, who carried a pistol, still played a role in the murder.
Mark Boackle, a forensic scientist from the Mississippi Forensics Lab in Pearl, testified the revolver killed Messenger.
Gray’s attorney, David Tisdell out of Tunica, asked Boackle, “Would that be a .357 magnum revolver?”
“That’s correct,” Boackle replied.
Charles Sledge, an investigator with the Clarksdale Police Department, testified one shot was fired and he could not confirm who killed Messenger.
“I can’t say if Dantrell did it or Connell,” Sledge said.
Tisdell attempted to dismiss the case Friday morning claiming there was not enough evidence, but the motion was denied.
Smith told Gray he had the right to testify on the stand about his role in the shooting but advised him to seek the advice of his attorney.
After a short recess, Gray decided not to testify and no witnesses took the stand on his behalf.
Mitchell began the closing argument explaining how Gray could be prosecuted even though he did not fire the shot that killed Messenger.
“The defendant doesn’t have to commit the shooting himself, but he must voluntarily participate in his crime,” Mitchell said.
Williams said after Jackson was in the argument at the Bennie S. Gooden Estates apartment building, his gun was taken away and Gray was hit in the face.
“These guys had been embarrassed,” Mitchell said. “They had been made to look like chumps.”
Jackson was able to get another gun before going to the Messenger home.
“Why do you arm yourself if you’re not fixing to do something?” Mitchell said.
“Both defendants went to Mrs. Messenger’s house that night. They were there to take care of business and then they hid the guns.
“Ms. Messenger had nothing to do with this. She just happened to answer her door that night.”
Mitchell also reminded the jury Britney King, whose boyfriend took Jackson’s gun at the apartment complex, testified she saw Gray and Jackson driving on Highway 61 after the time of the shooting. King said she was going to the one of the casinos in Tunica at the time.
Tisdell argued Gray just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
“The taking of Ms. Messenger’s life was unnecessary and sad,” Tisdell said.
“Mr. Jackson should be punished and he will get his day in court. The state has put forth a lot of theories, thing that they think happen, but they have not proven the theories.”
Tisdell said Gray went down an alley near Messenger’s home in the opposite direction of Jackson.
“He hears a shot and he panicked,” Tisdell said.
Tisdell said Gray hid his gun because he did not want to be stopped by the police or be accused of a crime. He added Gray voluntarily told the police Jackson shot Messenger and admitted he panicked.
“The question is what did he do wrong to bring about the killing?” Tisdell said. “Absolutely nothing.”
Williams mentioned how, after the shooting, Gray and Jackson’s guns were found hidden in an alley together. He said, after the shooting, Gray went back to where a discussion was taking place prior to the murder.
“Mr. Gray says, ‘I went back to Madison Street,’” Williams said.
Williams said, if Gray had truly panicked, he likely would have just gone home after the murder.
