A 17-year-old Mississippi boy accused of killing an elderly couple during a home break-in had previously worked for the pair, according to testimony from family members at a preliminary hearing. Cordarius Hobbs faces two counts of capital murder over the deaths of 74-year-old Billy Blair and his 71-year-old wife, Virginia Carol Blair, who were found shot dead at their Mendenhall home on 3 June following a lengthy standoff with police.
During Thursday’s hearing, members of Hobbs’ own family testified that the teenager had previously done work for the Blairs, including cleaning around their property, according to WAPT. Billy Newsome, Hobbs’ grandfather, said he believed his grandson had been called to the property to work on the day of the alleged shooting, but maintained his belief that Hobbs is innocent. “My grandson used to work for the man, why you gone rob a man that you work for,” Newsome said. “Why you gone stay there that long and you know the police out there, and then you gone wait until everybody gets there to run, it just ain’t adding up, something just ain’t right here.”
How the standoff unfolded
The case began on the morning of 3 June, when three contractors arriving to install a generator at the Blairs’ home discovered Carol Blair’s car door open, with several guns visible on the seats inside, at around 10am. The contractors called the Simpson County Sheriff’s Department requesting a welfare check at 11.30am, according to a Mississippi Bureau of Investigation investigator. Officers arrived at the property by noon and were met with gunfire, sparking a standoff that lasted nearly two hours. During the standoff, a deputy was struck by gunfire but survived with non-life-threatening injuries. Investigators also testified that contractors had noticed what appeared to be a forced-open rear door at the property before contacting authorities. Hobbs was eventually captured after attempting to flee from officers, with the investigator confirming he was unarmed at the time of his arrest.
What investigators found inside the home
Carol Blair was found in a bedroom, curled in the fetal position, having suffered a preliminary autopsy finding of two gunshot wounds to the head. Billy Blair was found lying on his back in the kitchen, having sustained three gunshot wounds to the head, including one fired from a distance and two at close range. Investigators recovered three firearms from inside the property, along with around 280 spent shell casings and live rounds, all belonging to Billy Blair.
Defence questions the evidence
Hobbs’ defence attorney, Zachary Vaughn, argued there was a lack of direct forensic evidence tying his client to the shooting itself. “There was nothing to say he’s a principle, he’s the one that pulled the trigger on these things,” Vaughn said. “One of the things alone was, one of the victims was shot twice on one side of the head and once on the other. I think that’s pretty compelling that somebody else may have been in there. There’s a lot of things that are possible, just a tremendous amount of things.” He also questioned the strength of the identification evidence against Hobbs, saying: “When you have an officer say there’s no one that can identify him at the time of the shooting, I just don’t see how that adds up.”
Charges and next steps
Prosecutors said Hobbs faces 13 felony charges in total, including two counts of capital murder, burglary, multiple counts of aggravated assault against law enforcement officers, and aggravated assault charges relating to victims over the age of 65. He was denied bond and remains in custody, after the judge declined to release him pending further proceedings. The case has since been bound over to a grand jury, with prosecutors now seeking an indictment before it proceeds to trial. Court records also show that Hobbs’ brothers face separate criminal charges in an unrelated case involving the shooting of a deputy, though authorities have not linked those allegations to the Blair killings.
Community remembers the couple
Following the deaths, the Blair family issued a statement on Facebook reading: “We are crushed in spirit, bruised, and brokenhearted, but we are not alone.” Jason Busby, a friend of the couple, remembered them fondly while speaking to WLBT. “The man would’ve given you the shirt off his back, his wife is the same, and they’re just great people. It’s just a tragedy,” Busby said. “Everybody around here is still in shock. They were just good people.”
