NATCHEZ — Natchez Police were investigating a stabbing death Friday evening on Oak Hill Drive.

Adams County Coroner James Lee confirmed that Robert Charles Smith, 62, was found stabbed to death in the kitchen area of his residence at 215 Oak Hill Drive.

Lee said he responded to the scene at approximately 4:48 p.m. Friday.

“We found him in a very gruesome scene inside of his house in the kitchen area where he apparently had been stabbed multiple times,” Lee said Friday evening. “The circumstances surrounding any altercation — we don’t have full details. The Natchez Police Department is still investigating.”

Natchez Police Chief Walter Armstrong said Friday evening that investigators had an eyewitness who saw two men fighting in front of the house and a suspect in custody.

“There was an eyewitness that reported two guys were fighting,” Armstrong said. “Officers arrived at the scene and went to the address along with a sheriff’s deputy and found the deceased just inside the door. It seems as if there was a physical altercation of two individuals that led to the stabbing death of Robert Smith. We have detained a suspect but have not charged him as of yet.”

Lee said he is saddened by the death.

Armstrong said this is the third murder recorded in the City of Natchez this year. Last year 12 murders were recorded in the city.

“This is a holiday, and I’ve been holding my breath that nothing would happen in Natchez,” Lee said, “but things like this seem to continue to happen and it just bothers me. We are just going to pray that we don’t have any events like this the rest of the year.”