Coffeeville Man Charged With Capital Murder

By David Howell
Editor

COFFEEVILLE – A Coffeeville man was charged with capital murder Friday afternoon following the Monday death of his seven month-old nephew.

    Yalobusha County Sheriff Lance Humphreys reported that Tommy Boyd was charged with the death of Braylon Uecker just before 3 p.m. Friday.

    Shortly afterwards, in an initial appearance held in the Water Valley Courthouse, Justice Court Judge Gary Tippit denied bond for Boyd.

    Humphreys said state law does not allow a bond to be set in a capital offense.

    On Monday Uecker was pronounced dead at the Grenada Lake Medical Center by an emergency room doctor according to Yalobusha Coroner Ronnie Stark. He had been transported to the Grenada hospital from Coffeeville in an ambulance.

    Humphreys said the child was taken to the Coffeeville ambulance service after he had stopped breathing.

    Stark said an autopsy was performed Wednesday in Jackson and a state medical examiner ruled the cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head. The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation is assisting with the investigation.

    “This is a very unfortunate situation,” Humphreys said about the crime.

    Funeral services will be held Saturday at 2 p.m. at Elam Baptist Church in Coffeeville with Rev. Charles David Melton and Rev. Ferrell Wilson officiating. Interment will follow at Elam Cemetery.