Trial gets delayed for one former JPD officer charged for tasing man to death

Pam Dankins, Mississippi Clarion Ledger
·2 min read

The trial in the case of one former Jackson Police officer charged with murdering Keith Murriel is no longer happening Monday, a court administrator said.

On Dec. 31, 2022, three JPD officers reportedly tased 41-year-old Keith Murriel repeatedly in the parking lot of an extended-stay hotel. Previous Clarion Ledger reporting states officers used a stun gun on Murriel at least 26 times in one 10-minute span. Murriel died on Dec. 31, 2022, New Year's Eve, in police custody.

The former officers were Kenya McCarty, Avery Willis and James Land. Details emerged from hours of unedited body camera footage from the three officers that was released by the City of Jackson. The video footage was reviewed in its entirety by the Clarion Ledger.

Both McCarty and Willis were charged with second-degree murder. Land, who arrived as "backup" for Willis and McCarty, was indicted for manslaughter.

Willis was slated to go to trial Monday for his alleged role in Murriel’s death, but Wooten's court administrator told the Clarion Ledger that Willis' trial was "not moving forward" Monday.

The administrator said Willis is "not first up" on the court's trial list. The court listed Willis in the 40-50 range of defendants in Wooten's line of trials.

Hinds County Circuit Court Judge Adrienne Wooten as seen in this Oct. 17, 2024, file photo.
Hinds County Circuit Court Judge Adrienne Wooten as seen in this Oct. 17, 2024, file photo.

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The court administrator also provided the same statements for a murder trial involving Randall Smith, a man who was indicted for killing a Jackson State University student. Smith's trial was slated to begin Monday as well, but his case was not at the top of the court's trial list either.

The Clarion Ledger reached out to Willis' attorney but had not received a response before this publication. It is unknown when Willis' trial is slated to begin.

The delay comes a week after Hinds County Circuit Judge Winston Kidd granted an Oct. 29 motion to postpone the trials for McCarty and Land on the basis of outstanding discovery matters.

Both McCarty and Land were also expected to go to trial Monday with Kidd presiding over the case. No new trial date has been set.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Avery Willis trial delayed, charged for tasing man to death Jackson MS