A man who was found dead in a Lincoln County field on Sunday was the victim of a homicide, Lincoln County sheriff’s officials said.
Mike DeLaughter, 58, of East Lincoln Road, died of a gunshot wound, Lincoln County Sheriff Steve Rushing said this morning.
Rushing said results of an autopsy conducted Monday confirmed the case was a homicide, spurring an investigation.
“The initial results show from the autopsy he had been shot,” Rushing said.
He did not say where DeLaughter suffered the gunshot wound or what type of gun was used.
Authorities said DeLaughter was cutting hay in a field off Bogue Chitto Road in eastern Lincoln County. The landowner found DeLaughter’s body around 7:30 p.m. Sunday.
Rushing said it appeared that DeLaughter had stopped his tractor and gotten off of it, and his truck had been moved.
“It appeared somebody had taken it and attempted to hide it in the back of the field,” he said of the truck.
The Mississippi State Crime Lab came Monday afternoon to fingerprint the vehicle and process evidence, Rushing said.
He said authorities are locating individuals DeLaughter last spoke to before his death.
“There are a couple (leads) we are working on at this point,” Rushing said, although a motive is unknown.
