Man charged with killing 6-year-old half-brother in Carroll County

CARROLL COUNTY, Miss. (WLBT) - A Mississippi teenager has been charged with murder after allegedly killing his 6-year-old half-brother.

Carroll County Sheriff’s Department says Thomas Perry III had his initial hearing earlier Tuesday. The court set a $1.2 million bond for first-degree murder, aggravated animal cruelty, and arson.

The incident happened Saturday afternoon when a fire began at the Vaiden Rental Apartments. It was determined there that the fire had been intentionally set.

After the fire subsided and while deputies searched the apartment for evidence, they found Orlando “King” Pittman, 6, stuffed in a closet. Investigators say he apparently died due to homicide prior to the fire.

Preliminary autopsy findings released Thursday confirm the manner of death to be homicide caused by multiple stab wounds.

“The little boy King, he was the sweetest little boy,” said Saudai Jackson. “He was a sweetheart. He was friendly. [I] just can’t imagine it happening in this town, let alone right beside me something like this actually happened.”

“I’m literally traumatized every time I walk out the door. I see it, and someone was sweet enough to put balloons out there by the street. It’s all around me. I’m hurt; I’m just hurt. I just really, real life, can’t believe this happened,” Jackson said.

The mother of three says she only had a couple of encounters with the six-year-old’s alleged killer, Thomas Perry III, but she says King and her three-year-old boy, Alpha, often played outside together.

Alpha doesn’t know just yet that those play dates will no longer happen.

As the town of Vaiden grapples with the weekend tragedy, Jackson says it’s a good reminder to hold your loved ones close.

“It makes me never want to leave him, ever,” Jackson said. “When I have to go to work, I would rather just stay at home and play with him. It makes me love on him more.”

Carroll County’s Chief Deputy tells me that at the time of the homicide, Perry was out on bond for a domestic violence charge that took place last month.

The court revoked that bond at the 19-year-old’s hearing earlier in the day.

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