The quiet stretch of Johnsons Lane in Hazlehurst, Mississippi, has been shaken by a sudden and painful loss. Benjamin Price, a 39-year-old man known to those around him, was found dead behind a home on Monday morning, leaving his family and neighbors struggling to process the shock.
It was around 11:40 a.m. when deputies with the Copiah County Sheriff’s Department were called to the 1000 block of Johnsons Lane. A family member had made the grim discovery, finding Price unresponsive behind a residence. What started as a routine morning quickly turned into a scene of heartbreak.
When law enforcement arrived, they confirmed the worst. Benjamin Price had suffered a single gunshot wound to the chest. Despite the urgency of the response, there was nothing that could be done. He was pronounced dead at the scene, marking a devastating moment for those who knew him.
Sheriff Byron Swilley said investigators immediately secured the area and began collecting evidence. The focus now is on understanding exactly what happened in those final moments. So far, officials have not identified any suspect, and no arrests have been made.
Authorities have also not released a possible motive, leaving the case surrounded by uncertainty. For now, the investigation remains open and active, with detectives working through every detail they can gather from the scene.
Price’s body has been transported to the Mississippi State Crime Laboratory, where an autopsy is expected to provide further insight. Until those results are complete, the case is being treated as a death investigation.
For the family, the pain runs deeper than the unanswered questions. Loved ones are left trying to make sense of a sudden loss that came without warning. The place where he was found now stands as a stark reminder of how quickly life can change.
The Copiah County Sheriff’s Department is urging anyone who may have seen or heard anything in the Johnsons Lane area to come forward. Even the smallest detail, they say, could help bring clarity to a case that has left a community searching for answers.
As the investigation continues, Hazlehurst mourns Benjamin Price. His death has left a quiet town carrying a heavy grief, waiting and hoping for the truth to come to light.
