Extracted from The Southern Herald (Liberty, MS)
Crosby Man Dies Following Beating
Jesse Lee Crum died Wednesday morning of
massive head injuries after being attacked, beaten
and left for dead at his home in Coles community of
Amite County, Mississippi.
Mr. Crum died after being transported to
Centreville Hospital and then to Baton Rouge.
Mr. Crum, who was attacked Monday night in
his bed, probably while he slept, was found
Tuesday morning by a woman who went to his
house each day to check his blood pressure since he
had had heart surgery. Amite County Sheriff's
Department has not indicated whether burglary
was the motive, however Mr. Crum's Buick was
missing from the home.
A suspect was arrested in New Orleans when an
off-duty policeman saw the car parked and a man
duck down in hiding. The policeman, whose name
was Cannatella, investigated. He found a suspect
and asked for a driver's license.
“The guy showed him Jessie L. Crum's name on
a temporary Texas license. Cannatella ran a check
of the car's tag and discovered it stolen from Mr.
Crum.
He arrested John Laushaw, a 23 year old black
male, and contacted Amite County Sheriff
Department. According to Sheriff Gerald Wall he
expects Laushaw to be charged with capitol
murder, auto theft, and burglary. Wall said
Laushaw has a Gloster address but his father
resides about one mile away from Mr. Crum's
home on Highway 33 near Crosby. Laushaw
waived extradition rights Friday but the New
Orleans Judge in charge of the case held a
hearing because of the severity of the charges.
Wall also said that lawmen recovered a shotgun
belonging to Mr. Crum from the trunk of the car
and they believed it was the weapon used in the
killing.
Sheriff Wall said the stock of the gun found in
the car was broken and the barrel's rib was dented.
The barrel itself was slightly bent. Investigation
found what appeared to be dried blook [sic blood], hair and
skin on the gun.
Crum was attacked between 11 p.m. Monday
and 1 a.m. Tuesday. A helicopter search the day
following the killing, failed to find any evidence of
the car.
Mr. Crum was a retired Illinois Central Railroad
worker and a widower.
The suspect has been a student at Texas
Women's College in Denton, Texas.
Thursday, August 31, 1989
SUSPECT ARRESTED IN NEW ORLEANS