Mother still in search of justice

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI)- A Columbus mother is still in search for justice after her son was shot and killed nearly three years ago.

Antina Billups said not a day goes by that she doesn’t think about, and reminisce on, all of the fond memories she shared with her son, D’Shawn Boyd.

“It hasn’t been any justice served in my son case,” said Billups. “In D’Shawn’s murder, it’s not going to get solved, period, at all, it’s just there. Three years done passed, who in jail for it? No one.”

It was back in November of 2016 when Boyd’s body was found lying next to a burning vehicle in the 2100 block of 8th Avenue South.

In June 2017 an arrest was made in the homicide.

However, a year later, the suspect in the case was cleared of the murder charge.

“The DA (District Attorney) told me the individual was going to Wisconsin and not coming back to Columbus, until an incident happened last night when he went inside my other son’s house with a gun and said he was going to kill everybody inside the house,” said Billups.  “All the guys ran and busted the windows out to escape.”

The Columbus woman said there were a total of six people inside the apartment.

Shattered glass can still be seen on the ground outside the Applewood Apartment Complex where the alleged incident happened Monday night.

According to the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Department, a man walked in with a gun and locked the door.

Investigators believe it may have been a possible robbery, and said there was no evidence of gunfire.

Billups believe the armed man is the same suspect who was initially charged in Boyd’s death.

“My son ran two blocks over to Yorkville (Road) and collapsed at this old lady house,” the mother recalled. “I made it out there, my son had a broken ankle, cut up legs, and a sprung back.”

This type of alleged retaliation from the suspect in her son’s murder case is something the mother feared, which is why she was frightful and challenged the DA’s office when he wasn’t indicted.

“The DA said there was no evidence, all of the witnesses made contradictory stories, they all told lies, they’re all in prison,” said Billups.

“In Mississippi I don’t decide who gets indicted,” said District 16 District Attorney Scott Colom. “When a case is presented to a grand jury, 20 random citizens, they have to decide whether there is probable cause to indict somebody. When they deliberate to determine whether there is probable cause, they do so in secret, so I can’t even be there to influence them when they make a decision.”

Colom said he did everything in his power to bring the family justice.

However, in the end, the DA said the case wasn’t strong enough to charge the suspect with murder due to a lack of sufficient evidence.

“There were never any witnesses that could identify any of the people that actually did the murder, and there was never any physical evidence that could really tie-down anybody involved in it, so without those two pieces of evidence it becomes very difficult to prosecute a case,” expressed Colom.

Colom said the case involving Boyd’s death is still open.

In Wednesday’s incident, no arrests have been made, and deputies are continuing to interview persons of interests.

If anyone has any information on these two incidents, you’re asked to contact the Golden Triangle Crime Stoppers.