LAWRENCE COUNTY, Miss (WJTV) – The Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office announced charges were upgraded for a murder suspect.
According to investigators, Jadarrius Smith, 21, of Monticello, has been charged with first degree murder. Smith was initially arrested on November 19, 2021, and charged with the attempted murder of Benny Rutland, 62.
Rutland died from his injuries at the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) in Jackson during the first week of March 2022.
A preliminary autopsy reported was released on March 14, and the charges were upgraded against Smith.