Accusations have emerged against a Mississippi teenager, Cordarius Hobbs, 17, for allegedly killing an elderly couple in their Mendenhall, Mississippi home. The couple, Billy Blair, 74, and Virginia Carol Blair, 71, were allegedly killed by Hobbs after a break-in occurred on June 3. According to a report from the Simpson County Sheriff’s Department obtained by Fox News Digital, Hobbs had been identified as a suspect in numerous local burglaries and car thefts.
Family members of Hobbs claimed during a preliminary hearing in July that he had previously worked for the Blairs, assisting with tasks like house cleaning before the alleged shooting occurred.
The incident report described Hobbs as a “troubled juvenile” suspected in various other crimes in the vicinity.
Hobbs’ grandfather, Billy Newsome, expressed his belief in his grandson’s innocence, suggesting Hobbs was asked to work on the day of the incident.
“My grandson used to work for the man, why you gone rob a man that you work for,” Newsome said. “Why you gone stay there that long and you know the police out there, and then you gone wait until everybody gets there to run, it just ain’t adding up, something just ain’t right here.”
The case took a troubling turn on June 3 when contractors installing a generator discovered a car door open with several guns piled on the seats at the Blairs’ residence. They promptly alerted the Simpson County Sheriff’s Department for a welfare check at 11:30 a.m.
The standoff began when officers arrived around noon and encountered gunfire. Hobbs was apprehended after attempting to flee; he was reportedly unarmed when caught. Inside, Carol Blair was found shot three times in the back of the head, curled in a fetal position in her bedroom. Her husband was found in the kitchen with three gunshot wounds to his face.
Cordarius Hobbs now faces charges, including two counts of capital murder and one count of burglary, alongside 10 other charges. He remains in custody without bond.
Hobbs’ attorney, Zachary Vaughn, stated that his client has shown respect and courtesy in their interactions. Vaughn pointed out a lack of direct forensic evidence linking Hobbs to the shootings.
“There was nothing to say he’s a principal, he’s the one that pulled the trigger on these things,” Vaughn argued. “When you have an officer say there’s no one that can identify him at the time of the shooting, I just don’t see how that adds up.”
The Blairs’ family expressed heartbreak and sorrow in a statement on Facebook, acknowledging the loss but emphasizing their unity during the difficult time.