The Mississippi Department of Corrections, along with other law enforcement agencies, is conducting a search for an escaped inmate from the Mississippi State Penitentiary (MSP) in Sunflower County.
The inmate, Nevin Whetstone (#56663), is serving a life sentence for capital murder committed in Lee County, along with an additional one-year sentence for a previous escape from the Sunflower County Jail. He was sentenced on December 14, 1984.
Authorities did not specify how Whetstone escaped. They are urging the public to take precautions and report any suspicious activity or sightings.
Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to contact MDOC or local law enforcement immediately. Updates will be provided as the search continues.
The Original Crime: Woman Found Beaten To Death Behind Tupelo Hotel
According to an article published in the Clarion Ledger on September 2, 1983, 30-year-old Whitstone was arrested and charged with capital murder for the death of 27-year-old Loretta Darlene Steele, from Fulton.
Darlene’s body was found late on a Tuesday night behind a Tupelo motel. She had been badly beaten on her face and head and was only partially clothed, according to the article.
Police said she had been raped, and items were taken from her purse. Police believed this happened between 8:30 and 10:00 p.m. Tuesday.
Nevin Whetstone was charged late that Wednesday with murder, rape and robbery by the Tupelo Police Department.
From the Wednesday, April 13, 1988 SunHeraldHis previous escape from Parchman
This isn’t the first time Whetstone has escaped MDOC custody. In 1988, he escaped Parchman by climbing a fence behind the reception unit on a Sunday morning, along with another prisoner.
