What's New
A Mississippi man has been charged with murder after he allegedly killed his wife on Christmas Eve.
What To Know
Dawn Marie Tillman, 65, was allegedly shot and killed by her husband, Timothy Wayne Tillman, 53, in the town of Terry, which is about 15 miles southwest of the state capital Jackson.
Hinds County Sheriff's Office has confirmed that the shooting happened around 5:40 p.m. local time in the 700 block of Doc Henry Cove in the town.
In a social media post made on Christmas Day, police said the motive is unknown at this time and an investigation is ongoing. Anyone with relevant information can contact police at (601) 974-2900.
Violent Crime in Mississippi
Hinds County has reported a lower violent crime rate in 2024 so far than it did over the course of the previous year. According to data from the State of Mississippi website, there has only been one murder in Hinds County this year, while two were reported in 2023.
Each of these included the use of a firearm, and were committed at home. Overall, the violent crime rate in Hinds County, which includes murder, sex crimes, robbery and aggravated assault, has dropped by 35.42 percent since 2023.
In August, a man was arrested by the same police department after he phoned to tell them he had shot his wife, also in the town of Terry. Tony Morris, 67, reportedly killed his 64-year-old wife Kathleen Morris at their home in the 3500 block of Green Gable Road, according to a report by The Clarion Ledger.
Across the entire state of Mississippi, there have been 100 murders recorded in 2024, although not every jurisdiction has reported, and the rate of murders has decreased by 15.25 percent compared to 2023. Almost half, 47 percent, of these have occurred in the home, and 78 percent have been committed using a firearm.
Intimate Partner Murders Across the U.S.
Every month, an average of 76 women are shot and killed by an intimate partner, according to gun safety research organization Everytown, and more than seven in 10 intimate partner homicides across the U.S. are committed using a firearm. Of those victims, 76 percent are women.
More than 1 million women who are alive today have had a gun used against them by an intimate partner. Some 4.5 million women have reported being threatened with a gun by an intimate partner.
What's Next
Newsweek contacted the Hinds County Sheriff's Office via the contact form on its website for additional information outside of regular working hours.
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