V'Nell Miskell found guilty of first-degree murder

It took a jury only 50 minutes Tuesday to find V'Nell Miskell guilty of first-degree murder in the 2014 shooting death of Johnnie Cooper.

V'Nell Miskell, 27, initially was charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy in the death of 20-year-old Cooper, whose body was found the morning of Sept. 11, 2014, in a drainage ditch at Timberton Softball Complex on Helveston Road.

12th District Circuit Judge Jon Mark Weathers sustained a motion to acquit V'Nell Miskell of conspiracy in a directed verdict, so the jury was only allowed to consider the murder charge.

Jurors were instructed to deliberate on whether to find V'Nell Miskell not guilty or guilty of first- or second-degree murder.

A sentencing hearing will be held Thursday or Friday. The Forrest-Perry County District Attorney's office filed a motion Oct. 25 to charge V'Nell Miskell as a habitual offender. If Weathers sustains the motion, he could be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

His brother, Vernell Miskell, testified earlier in the day at the trial in Forrest County Courthouse.

The 23-year-old was treated as a hostile witness soon after taking the witness stand. He looked the jury over, then shouted, "I refuse to testify!"

Assistant District Attorney DeCarlo Hood asked if he was close to his brother, the defendant, to which Vernell Miskell replied, "Very close."

He admitted lying to police when first questioned about Cooper's death, saying he had no knowledge of his brother's involvement.

Vernell Miskell changed his testimony and agreed to testify against his brother after he was offered a plea deal. Vernell Miskell along with the Miskells' older brother, Pedro Alvarez, also was indicted on charges of first-degree murder. Vernell Miskell pleaded guilty to accessory after the fact of murder. Vernell Miskell's then-girlfriend, Asia Craft, also faces accessory charges.

Vernell Miskell told the jury his brother told him Cooper and V'Nell Miskell were sitting at the park smoking weed. He said when V'Nell Miskell came home that morning, he said something happened.

V'Nell Miskell told his brother he shot Cooper, who fell in the water, "then I emptied the clip on him," according to Vernell Miskell's testimony.

At one point, when he was asked if he was now telling the truth, Vernell Miskell turned his chair around so no one could see him, and was softly crying.

V'Nell Miskell did not look at his brother on the witness stand, keeping his head down and writing in a notebook.

On cross examination, defense attorney Robert Whitacre tried to get Vernell Miskell to admit he changed his testimony and pleaded to the lesser crime to avoid life in prison without the possibility of parole if he was convicted of Cooper's murder.

Whitacre also noted the Miskells' mother could be facing charges in the incident, and Vernell Miskell was trying to get the charges against his mother dropped.

In earlier testimony, Hattiesburg police detective Sgt. Neal Rockhold testified how the phone records recovered from Cooper's phone initially led him to Vernell Miskell, who said he was with Craft the night of the murder.

He also testified to when Cooper was last seen, which was not long before he was shot to death, at a convenience store on U.S. 49 near William Carey Parkway.

Alvarez is set to stand trial Nov. 29. He was released on bond in February. His bond was set at $75,000 each for the murder and conspiracy charges. Craft, who also is free on bond, will stand trial in December.

Vernell Miskell faces up to 20 years in prison and a $10,000 fine when he is sentenced. The sentence could run concurrent to a 20-year sentence he is serving for an aggravated assault conviction. He is currently in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections.

V'Nell Miskell also was charged with automobile burglary, but that and a weapons charge have been passed to the inactive files.

On Monday, members of Cooper's family testified as well as Jeff Byrd, an investigator with Hattiesburg Police Department, and other witnesses.

Cooper's family declined comment following the verdict.