NATCHEZ — Two of three men believed to have gunned down a man outside the his Scotts Lane residence in March 2012 are scheduled to stand trial this week.

District Attorney Ronnie Harper said Friday the murder trial of James C. Luster III, 21, 551 W. Stiers Lane, will begin in Judge Lillie Blackmon Sanders’ court today.

Frederick Hunt Jr., 18, 381 Morgantown Road, is scheduled to stand trial for murder charges Tuesday.

Luster and Hunt are believed to have shot and killed Carlos Wright, 23, 8 Scotts Lane, outside of his residence on March 6, 2012.

Gerald K. Davis, 19, 11 Fifth St., submitted a guilty plea to the court Tuesday, Harper said.

Natchez Police Chief Danny White has said police believe the three suspects were acquainted with Wright. He said reports indicated that the suspects may have gone to Wright’s house the night of the murder because they had reportedly heard that Wright had received his income tax check and would have a large sum of cash.

Natchez Detective Jerry Ford has said Luster reportedly picked up Davis and Hunt to go with him to Wright’s house at approximately 11 on the night of the murder.

Luster allegedly dropped Davis and Hunt off up the street from Wright’s house and went to Wright’s house by himself. Luster reportedly got Wright to come out of the house and then shot him.

Ford said Luster then reportedly called for Davis and Hunt to come to the house, and both men also reportedly shot Wright.

NPD Detective Otis Mazique has said an officer responded to a call from a West Stiers Lane resident the night of the murder. The caller said two men were running through the resident’s backyard. He said while the officer was en route to the residence, he was flagged down as he passed Scotts Lane by a man who said his friend had been shot.

Mazique said Wright’s friend reported that Wright called him after the shooting and asked him to take Wright to the hospital.

The officer saw another person, Mazique said, attempting to drag the victim into a car to take him to the hospital. The officer found Wright, who had no pulse, laying across the passenger seat of the car with his legs hanging out the door.

Metro Ambulance was dispatched to the scene and confirmed that Wright was dead.

Adams County Coroner James Lee has said he arrived on the scene just after midnight and said Wright was shot at least four or five times in the back, abdomen and buttocks.

Mazique said officers recovered bullet casings from a .40 caliber handgun outside of Wright’s house.

Mazique said a trail of blood starting at the front of the house and ending at the side of the house indicates that Wright probably tried to flee the shooters by attempting to run to the back of the house.