Lincoln County authorities investigating death after fatal fight — Bogue Chitto man dies six days after alleged altercation at truck stop

Published 4:15 pm Wednesday, June 13, 2018

BROOKHAVEN — Authorities are investigating the death of a Bogue Chitto man they believe died as a result of injuries sustained in a fight.

Lincoln County Sheriff Steve Rushing said his officers are interviewing witnesses to an alleged fight in the parking lot of the truck stop in Bogue Chitto that may have later claimed the life of 25-year-old Corbitte Smith, a McCall Creek man living in Bogue Chitto. Smith died in a Jackson hospital six days after the altercation is believed to have occurred.

“He appears to have been in a fight, and that’s what we’ve been trying to sort out here for the last few days,” Rushing said. “We’re tracking down people, trying to find out who was there and we’re slowly piecing it back together.”

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Rushing said it appears Smith fought with an unknown suspect the night of Thursday, May 31, outside the truck stop and went home with a friend. When Smith failed to recover from the fight the next day, the homeowner where he was staying called an ambulance.

Smith was transported to University of Mississippi Medical Center and died there June 6, after being placed on life support.

“Without knowing for sure until we get the full autopsy back, he had some head injuries,” Rushing said. “We hope to have some answers by the end of the week.”

Rushing said the truck stop’s video security system did not record the fight, but his officers are interviewing witnesses. Charges could be filed in the case depending on Smith’s official cause of death.

Lincoln County Coroner Clay McMorris said an autopsy was performed on Smith Monday, but the results are not yet available.

Friends of Smith’s family on social media said he “hung on to life” as long as possible at UMMC and that he was an organ donor. His funeral services are at 11 a.m. Friday at Riverwood.

Anyone with information on the alleged truck stop fight is urged to call the sheriff’s department at 601-833-5231 or Crimestoppers at 601-823-0150.