Mississippi drops charges in killing of former state lawmaker but says new charges are possible

By EMILY WAGSTER PETTUS
Associated Press

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi prosecutors have dismissed indictments against a man in the shooting death of a former state lawmaker and the earlier burning of a building. They say they need more time to investigate. The murder and arson charges against Billy Lamar Brooks were dismissed without prejudice. That means a grand jury could consider new charges later, according to a document filed Friday. Republican former state Rep. Ashley Henley was shot to death in June 2021 outside the burned-out mobile home in a rural area where her sister-in-law, Kristina Michelle Jones, was found dead six months earlier. Brooks has been free on bond since last year.