Authorities filed murder and arson charges against a Walthall County man late Tuesday evening in connection with the death of his mother, who was discovered dead under suspicious circumstances Monday morning.
Walthall County sheriff’s deputies booked 29-year-old Brian E. Fortenberry, 26 Son Thompson Road, Sandy Hook, on a charge of murder and first-degree arson late Tuesday evening, Assistant District Attorney Timothy Jones said.
Fortenberry is accused of killing his 59-year-old mother, Elizabeth Fortenberry, same address, and setting her mobile home on fire.
Jones said the sheriff’s department launched a homicide investigation on Monday after firefighters and lawmen responded to the fire, and could not find the 59-year-old woman.
“Questions arose from there, and they started searching for her,” Jones said.
Authorities eventually discovered Elizabeth Fortenberry’s body in a wooded area off of Mount Bethel Road, about 2 miles from her home, Walthall County Coroner Shannon Hartzog said.
He said she died from a single gunshot wound to the head around 9 or 9:30 a.m. Monday. Her body was sent to the medical examiner’s office in Jackson for an autopsy.
Hartzog said he is waiting on results from ballistics tests to determine the caliber of bullet that killed her.
Shortly after Fortenberry’s body was discovered, lawmen considered her son as a person of interest and detained him on an investigative hold early Tuesday morning. Officials filed formal charges against him Tuesday evening.
As of Wednesday morning, Brian Fortenberry remained in the Walthall County jail held without bond.
The motive for the killing remains unclear.
Walthall County Sheriff Duane Dillon could not be reached for comment Tuesday or this morning.
