Winston Murder Appeal Denied

Higginbotham

WINSTON COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) — A 33-year-old Winston County man will remain in prison for his role in a bizarre Winston County murder-for-hire case.

The state Court of Appeals today denied J.C. Higginbotham’s claim that his guilty pleea to capital murder and life sentence should be thrown out because he wasn’t mentally competent to understand.

Higginbotham was one of four people who pleaded guilty to the December 2007 murder-for-hire shooting death of L.S. Vowell Jr. in his chicken coop in southern Winston County.

Higginbotham was hired by Vowell’s wife, who also is serving a life sentence.