Greenville, MS—Jonathan Driver of Etta, MS, was convicted of Second Degree Murder and Attempted Murder in Washington County following his guilty pleas on Monday, District Attorney Dewayne Richardson announced today.
With his trial scheduled to take place in July, Driver pled guilty at the deadline Monday morning. Witnesses set to appear at the pending trial would have provided testimony that during the afternoon of December 9, 2018, Driver lured Daneisha Carey, who was approximately six months with child, out of her home under the guise of returning her cell phone which may have been the subject of a disagreement between the two. Shortly after walking out of the house, Driver gunned Carey down. Her brother and father who were inside heard the shots and ran outside to find Carey lying shot in the front yard. Officers of the Greenville Police Department responded to the scene to render assistance until medical personnel could take Carey to the hospital. Detectives from the department’s Criminal Investigation Division were called to the scene to initiate the official investigation led by Investigator Tammie Hudson. They located shell casings and received a description of Driver’s vehicle which they circulated around the state. Driver was located in New Albany and taken into custody by local law enforcement. GPD investigators traveled to New Albany to take custody of evidence, including the firearm confiscated from Driver by New Albany police. The firearm and live rounds in the magazine clip matched the shell casings found at the scene of the shooting.
Upon her arrival to Delta Regional Medical Center, doctors and nurses began emergency surgeries to save Daneisha and her baby, Dayton. Though he initially survived the emergency delivery, Dayton eventually succumbed to the trauma he sustained from the shooting. Fighting for her life, Daneisha coded several times but ultimately survived the shooting with her life. Unfortunately, Driver’s senseless act left her paralyzed from the neck down. Driver was charged with the Murder of Dayton Carey and the Attempted Murder of Daneisha Carey.
Following his guilty plea, he was sentenced by Senior Circuit Court Judge Ashley Hines to the District Attorney’s recommendation of 40 years to serve in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections for Second Degree Murder and 20 years for Attempted Murder. Those sentences will run concurrent—at the same time.
Assistant District Attorney Kaylon McCou prosecuted this case. “In just a few seconds, this senseless act took a life—a child from a mother—and left another life changed forever. I think we would all trade the conviction and sentence to see Daneisha and a now two-year-old Dayton taking a walk together hand-in-hand. That chance was taken from them and, though nothing we do now can replace such a precious moment, we are proud to have fought for justice on their behalf,” he added.
The Office of the District Attorney thanks the Carey family for their patience and cooperation, the New Albany Police Department for their assistance, and the officers and investigators of the Greenville Police Department for their unyielding commitment to this community.