Suspect held in fatal shooting

Published 12:00 am Thursday, November 20, 2003

NATCHEZ &045; Late Tuesday night, a Natchez man was shot and killed on U.S. 61 North, and a suspect was arrested for the apparent murder.

According to Adams County Sheriff Office Maj. John Manley, that office received a call at 10:44 p.m. Tuesday that someone had been shot. When deputies arrived, they found an individual had been shot in the head, he said.

The victim, 21-year-old Christopher Bourdin of Natchez, was transported to Natchez Regional and pronounced dead about one hour later, Manley said.

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&uot;Today I have ruled this case a homicide,&uot; Adams County Coroner James Lee said Wednesday.

&uot;There are too many unanswered questions concerning what happened.

&uot;The autopsy is being performed in Jackson in order that we may receive any trace evidence (that was) on the body at the time he was killed,&uot; Lee said. &uot;There is nothing that would lead me to think it was an accident at this point.&uot;

Lee said the courts will officially decide.

However, the Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday night made one arrest in the death.

Manley said about eight young adults hang out where the murder occurred and, through their accounts, one arrest was made.

Jimmy Newton Pruitt III, 19, of 631 U.S. 61 N., was arrested on a charge of murder.

Pruitt was taken Wednesday to Adams County Justice Court, where his bond was set at $500,000.

Manley would not give any other details of the murder, saying it was still under investigation. Manley did say Pruitt and Bourdin were acquaintances.

&uot;I think this will be the only arrest,&uot; he added.

Next, Pruitt will have a preliminary hearing in Justice Court, although the date of that hearing was unclear as of Wednesday.