An arrest has been made in the shooting death of former state lawmaker Ashley Henley in June 2021.
The Calhoun County Sheriff’s Department arrested Billy Brooks this week in the homicide of the former DeSoto County Representative this week after a grand jury handed down an indictment on June 30.
Yalobusha County Coroner Ronnie Stark called the case a homicide investigation from the start.
Deputies were first sent to the scene around 10 p.m., and from that point, several other agencies joined the investigation.
Henley’s sister-in-law, Kristina Michelle Jones, was found dead inside a burned trailer at the same place on Patricia Drive in late December. Brooks has been charged in that arson. Assistant District Attorney Steve Jubera told reporters at the time that it appears Henley was outside the burned trailer cutting grass when she was killed.
Henley was reportedly looking into her sister-in-law’s death during the time before she was killed.
WLBT did an investigative report on the lack of movement in the case just weeks before Brooks was arrested. In a Thursday update, they stated that Henley’s family isn’t sure Brooks is responsible for both crimes.
Henley served in House District 40 from 2016 through 2019.
