Greenville, MS— Frederick Pearson, Jr., 23 of Indianola was sentenced to thirty-five years in prison following his guilty plea on Monday, District Attorney Dewayne Richardson announced today.
In October of 2020, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office responded to Blaylock Road where deputies found the body of who they would learn was Kenneth Mason lying near the road. After noticing that Mason was unresponsive, the first responding deputies notified detectives with the agency’s criminal investigations division. Investigators arrived on scene and immediately observed apparent gunshot wounds to the victim’s torso, along with multiple shell casings.
A criminal investigation followed but went without any solid leads for almost a week until a deputy initiated a traffic stop on Mason’s vehicle. The SUV was occupied by Frederick Pearson, Shamarlon Jones, and Donnell Corbin, III. They were also in possession of personal items belonging to Mason. Pearson, Jones, and Corbin were taken into custody and the investigation continued. A firearm thrown from the vehicle by Pearson was matched to the shell casings found on scene, and the suspects’ latent finger and hand prints were found on the truck when it was examined. Activity on Mason’s cards showed that the three suspects had been in possession of his property for days prior to them being stopped—days closer to the shooting.
The three were charged and later indicted by a Washington County Grand Jury.
Pearson appeared in the Circuit Court of Washington County on Monday and pled guilty to Second Degree Murder for the shooting. He was sentenced to the District Attorney’s recommendation of the forty (40) year maximum in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections, with thirty-five (35) years to serve, and the remaining 5 years on Post-Release Supervision.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Kaylon McCou. He expressed his gratitude for the efficient work of the Washington County Sheriff’s Office in their investigation of this case, as well as the patience of the Mason family as the investigation unfolded and the case navigated its way through the criminal justice process.
Jones and Corbin remain indicted for their roles in the crime. They are presumed not guilty until proven guilty. Their cases are scheduled for trial later this year during the October term of court.