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Man arrested for beating death of 75-year-old in Mississippi

By Kristopher White Jan 31, 2025 | 11:12 AM

UPDATE:

GULFPORT, Miss. (WJTV) – Gulfport police said Ellis Townsend turned himself in.

GULFPORT, Miss. (WJTV) – Gulfport police are searching for man in connection to the beating death of a 75-year-old man.

On November 18, 2024, police responded to the 2910 block of 25th Avenue in reference to an assault. They located the victim, who stated that he had been assaulted by Ellis Townsend, 27, an on-duty security guard.

During the investigation, detectives determined that Townsend struck the victim multiple times in the head with a closed fist, causing the victim to fall to the ground. Police said Townsend continued the assault until patrons of the business intervened. The victim later died from his injuries.

Ellis Townsend (Courtesy: Gulfport Police Dept.)

Townsend is wanted for one count of manslaughter. He is 6’1″ tall, weighs 170 pounds and has black hair, brown eyes and gold teeth. He is considered to be armed and dangerous.

Anyone with information on his whereabouts can contact the Gulfport Police Department at 228-868-5959 or Mississippi Coast Crime Stoppers at 877-787-5898.