Greenwood, MS – Jamari Granderson and Degray Leach, each of Sidon, were sentenced on August 4th, 2025, in connection with the murder of John Arias Brown, District Attorney W. Dewayne Richardson announced today.
On the night of December 30, 2021, John Arias Brown was gunned down outside Country Manor Apartments in Sidon, MS. Investigators with the Leflore County Sheriff’s Department arrived and discovered multiple shell casings within a close proximity to the victim’s body. The investigation revealed that Jamari Granderson, Degray Leach, Jakeldris Hunt, and Kadeaderick Hunt were suspected of the murder and conspiracy to kill John Brown, and were later indicted by a Leflore County Grand Jury.
On August 4th, 2025, Jamari Granderson and Degray Leach appeared in the Circuit Court of Leflore County, where they both entered guilty pleas and were sentenced. Jamari Granderson pled guilty to Second Degree Murder and Conspiracy to Commit Murder and was sentenced to thirty (30) years in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections, with twenty-five (25) years to serve and the remaining five (5) on Post-Release Supervision. Degray Leach pled guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Murder and Accessory After the Fact and will be sentenced at a later date. Jakeldris Hunt and Kadeaderick Hunt are still awaiting trial.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Patricia A. Hicks who expressed gratitude for the hard work of the Leflore County Sheriff’s Department in quickly identifying the suspects and assisting the DA’s office in bringing those responsible for Mr. Brown’s death to justice.