Greenville, MS— Dwayne Hemphill, 21, of Greenville pled guilty yesterday to the May 2023 homicide of Earnest “Ladd” Davis in Washington County Circuit Court today, District Attorney Dewayne Richardson announced.
On the morning of May 20, 2023, officers of the Greenville Police Department responded to the 800 block of Walthall Street in reference to a shot person. They arrived to find the victim Earnest “Ladd’ Davis lying in the alleyway between two homes. When investigators arrived on scene, they located multiple shell casings and recovered video of the shooting from a nearby home which showed the assailant’s clothing and the suspect vehicle. Detectives located the vehicle later that morning. While inspecting the vehicle, they observed shell casings consistent with those found on scene. Hemphill was found during a search of the home where the vehicle was parked, along with the clothing observed on video.
Hemphill was later indicted by a grand jury and prior to the beginning of his trial, he informed the Court of his intent to plead guilty. He pled guilty to Manslaughter with a Firearm Enhancement and Tampering with Physical Evidence. Hemphill was sentenced by Circuit Court Judge Margaret Carey-McCray to the District Attorney’s recommendation of twenty (20) years in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections for Manslaughter, 5 years to serve for the Firearm Enhancement, followed by 5 years for Tampering with Evidence. The sentences will run consecutive, or one after the other.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Kaylon McCou and Austin Frye. “Thanks to the quick work of the men and women of the Greenville Police Department, critical evidence was recovered that led to the identification and arrest of the shooter in this case. No guilty plea or sentence has ever returned a loved one to their family, but our office maintains hope that this conviction provides some measure of peace to Mr. Davis’ family and friends,” McCou added.
The Office of the District Attorney is thankful for the work of the Greenville Police Department, the assistance of cooperative citizens, and those that answered the call to jury service to ensure that the criminal justice system moved forward.