Suspects in Newton County murder case arrested here

Two suspects have been arrested in connection with the murder of two women last month, one of them in Neshoba County, the authorities said.

Austin Harrell and Shaunna Reynolds, both of Newton County, were charged here with the murder of 26-year-old Breanna Strickland in Neshoba County.

Another woman, 21-year-old Kaitlyn Goolsby, was murdered in Newton County, the authorities said. Their bodies were dumped off a road not far from the Conehatta community in Newton County.

Both Harrell and Reynolds were served arrest warrants and appeared before Neshoba County Justice Court for an initial appearance. Bond was denied for both suspects and they remain in custody in Newton County.

“I echo Sheriff Joedy Pennington’s statement from earlier today which praised the coordinated efforts of local law enforcement agencies,” Clark said of the multi-agency investigation.

“This investigation spread over multiple jurisdictions, which shows proof of how blessed we are in the field of police protection.”  

Clark said that on Tuesday, March 15, 2022, investigators discovered evidence that expanded the Newton County murder investigation to Neshoba County. 

Neshoba County Sheriff’s Office, Mississippi Bureau of Investigations and Newton Sheriff’s Office started a coordinated effort to validate the information collected, Clark said.  

“Over the course of the next three days, local officers worked tirelessly gathering evidence to support the new information,” Clark said  

The 8th District Attorney’s Office provided needed legal guidance to assure a strong legal case, he said.