UPDATE: 3 more charged in connection to the murder of missing Picayune man

PEARL RIVER COUNTY, Miss. (WLOX) - In addition to 18-year-old Austin Brookshire’s first-degree murder charge, three others have also been charged in connection to the murder of Willie Ray Q. Jones—a 28-year-old man who was reported missing in Picayune on July 6.

Dustin Gray has been charged with first-degree murder, while Erica Gray has been charged with accessory after the fact of first-degree murder, according to Pearl River County investigator Marc Ogden.

The couple remains in Colorado, where they were first arrested by the U.S. Marshal Service on July 15. Once they waive extradition, they’ll return to Pearl River County to face these charges.

The third person charged is a juvenile and faces an accessory after the fact of murder charge.

It is believed that Willie Jones was with the murder suspects on July 6th, and investigators say sometime in an eight-hour window between July 6 and July 7, Gray and Austin Brookshire killed Jones and dumped his body in the woods off of Texas Flat Road in Hancock County.

Brookshire of Rankin County was denied bond and charged with first-degree murder after appearing before Judge Ben Breland earlier on Tuesday.

According to authorities, Brookshire was arrested last Friday following an interview with investigators and Dustin and Erica Gray, who—at the time— were two persons of interest in the case.

Last Friday, a body was discovered in Hancock County that authorities believe is connected to this investigation. The autopsy results have not yet been released, nor has the identification of the deceased.

The state fire marshal’s office is offering up to $5,000 for information leading up to the arrest in the suspected arson case after a Picayune law office burned down last week. The office belonged to Dustin Gray’s father, James Gray.

If you have any information regarding the arson, please contact the Picayune Police Department at 601-798-7411. You can also make an anonymous tip by calling MS Crime Stoppers at 877-787-5898 or by downloading the free app. You can do this by searching for “P3 Tips” in your app store.

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