NATCHEZ — A Wednesday night murder sent local authorities to the woods near Providence Road searching for a suspect.

Jessie Mae Tolbert, 34, of 25 Pintard St., was the subject of the search at 10 p.m. Wednesday in connection with the stabbing death of Akeem Furley, 24, 212 B Cloverdale Road.

Furley was transported to Natchez Regional Medical Center just before 7:30 p.m. Wednesday. He had one stab wound to the upper chest, near his neck, Police Chief Mike Mullins said. He was pronounced dead at the hospital.

A male and a female drove him to the hospital, Mullins said, and the hospital notified police. The drivers of the car were talking with investigators Wednesday night.

Mullins said authorities did not yet know where the murder occurred, but it was possibly on Providence Road.

Tolbert was spotted in that area walking into the woods, Mullins said. He would not reveal why police consider Tolbert a suspect, but did say she has a criminal history.

Authorities were unsure whether the crime happened in the city limits or in the county, but both city police and the Adams County Sheriffs Office were involved in the search for a possible suspect.

Sheriff Ronny Brown said his deputies began searching at approximately 8 p.m. in the woods near Providence Road.

Natchez Police officers were searching with a police dog, Mullins said.

“If we think there is any possibility of finding her, we’ll continue searching,” he said. “Normally, in situations like this, people don’t stay in the woods long; they head back to roadways.”