Three arrests made in unsolved 2013 murder case

March 7, 2018 | By Brenda Ingram – Smith County Reformer

An unsolved murder from 2013 has been solved with the arrest of three Jasper County residents.

Brothers, Kenrick Levon Holliday, 27, and Shavon Holliday, 25, along with Xavier Cortez Campbell, 26, have been arrested for the murder of Isaac Hodges that occurred on January 9, 2013. Hodges was lured to an abandoned store in Sylvarena on the night of January 9, 2013, where he thought he was meeting a girl. The old abandoned building is located on Hwy. 501, just off Hwy. 18.

According to the story that Hodges was able to tell his parents, a black SUV pulled up and started shooting into his truck. Hodges, who had been shot twice, was able to drive back to his parents’ house where he collapsed. He lived for ten days before he passed away.

According to Sheriff Charlie Crumpton, the investigation has been on-going since the murder. Crumpton states “That several hundred man hours have gone into this case and with a recent break in the case, it started to shape up in the last few month.”

The Smith County Sheriff’s Department, Jasper County Sheriff’s Department, Bay Springs Police Department, MS Bureau of Investigation and the Office of the District Attorney have all played a major role in this lengthy investigation.

Both Kenrick and Shavon Holliday were arrested on February 27 and Campbell was arrested on March 1, by Smith County authorities.

Kenrick and Shavon Holliday appeared before Justice Court Judge Hulon West on March 1. Their bond was set at $1,000,000 each. Xavier Campbell appeared before West on March 2 where his bond was also set at $1,000,000. All three remain in custody at press time.

Crumpton stated that Smith County Emergency Management Director Heather Easterling and the Smith County Dive Team have also worked with law enforcement in trying to recover evidence.

In a former statement to the Reformer, Celesta Hodges, Isaac’s mother, said they are thankful for our Lord and Savior that progress is being made toward justice for Isaac.

When contacted by the Reformer, Jasper County Sheriff Randy Johnson stated “that he was glad to have been able to assist and be a part of helping Sheriff Crumpton and his department on this case. Crumpton had talked of the desire to get this case closed for the family and with the help of all law enforcement agencies working together and putting in the long hours, it has finally come to fruition. It’s just been a great thing.”

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“The family is thankful that there will be justice for Isaac.” – Celesta Hodges when speaking to Project: Cold Case.

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If you have a loved one that is the victim of an unsolved homicide please submit their case here for consideration in a future Cold Case Spotlight post.