Two charged with series of home invasions
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May 11—HOUSTON — A pair of 20-year-old men have been charged in connection with home invasions in Chickasaw, Oktibbeha and Pontotoc counties.
Marcques Clinton of Houston and Corey Wilson of Tupelo are currently being held in the Chickasaw County Jail. They will have their initial appearance in Chickasaw County Justice Court in Houston Wednesday where a judge will set bond.
The pair of suspects is accused of a trio of home invasions, which differ from standard break-ins.
"Just a plain burglary where somebody steals something from an empty house doesn't really get people's attention a lot," said Chickasaw County Sheriff James Meyers during a press conference, Tuesday. "But when a door is kicked in, a mother is woken up and her son is held at gunpoint, that gets people's attention."
Officials said the first home invasion occurred on April 18 in Pontotoc. The following night there was second in Starkville, followed by a third invasion on April 30 in Chickasaw County.
Law enforcement credited teamwork and the cooperation among several jurisdictions for the arrests.
"When we realized there was a similar case in Pontotoc County just 24 hours earlier, we sent out investigators over to talk with them and compare notes," said Starkville Police Chief Mark Ballard. "This was a very complicated, dangerous case solved through team work. These crimes impacted the community deeply. We are thankful that the community was patient as we worked to find those responsible."
During a Tuesday afternoon press conference to announce the arrest, Ballard was flanked by the sheriffs of Calhoun, Chickasaw and Pontotoc counties.
Besides some similarities in the events — two armed men kicking in doors and holding people at gunpoint — investigators had trouble linking the crimes.
"They did not show a propensity for a single location or a type of victim," Ballard said. "The victims were white and African-American. Some were in a rural setting, but one was not far from downtown Starkville."
Investigators from Starkville worked with their counterparts at the Chickasaw and Pontotoc sheriff's offices to break the case. Clinton was arrested May 6 by Chickasaw County. When he was interviewed, investigators got the name of the second suspect.
"When someone knows they are wanted for a serious crime, sometimes they can be hard to find," Meyers said.
The U.S. Marshals Service found Wilson Tuesday morning.
Clinton and Wilson also face a laundry list of felonies in connection with a string of burglaries in five counties. Officials said that list could grow as they look into other burglaries across the region.
As of Tuesday afternoon, Clinton and Wilson faced a total of 11 counts of the burglary of a dwelling in Calhoun, Chickasaw, Clay, and Pontotoc counties, and the city of Starkville. They face single counts each of armed robbery in Starkville, and Calhoun, Chickasaw, Clay and Pontotoc counties. Chickasaw County has also charged the pair with grand larceny.
Because the crimes happened in several different jurisdictions, the legal process of charging the men will take quite some time. In addition to involving four counties and one city, the cases are also in three different circuit court districts.
