Former MSU Player Facing Multiple Charges, Two Suspect Still Sought

John Michael Hankerson
Source: www.hailstate.com

OKTIBBEHA COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – A former Mississippi State football player is facing 12 charges, including armed robbery and kidnapping, four separate investigations.

The Oktibbeha County Sheriff’s Office charged John Michael Hankerson, 18, with five counts of armed robbery, three counts of aggravated assault and two counts of kidnapping.

Hankerson was arrested by U.S. Marshals in Horn Lake on Wednesday.

Investigators say the kidnapping charges and at least one armed robbery charge stem from an October 29th incident.

The other charges involve an armed robbery on December 17th at the Campus Trails apartment complex.

Deputies say three victims were pistol whipped and had items stolen from them by Hankerson and two other unidentified suspects.

Oktibbeha County investigators are still searching for the other suspects in the Campus Trails case.

Some of the victims were able to identify Hankerson, according to detectives.

Back on December sixth, Hankerson was arrested by MSU police for two separate incidents.

University police charged him with simple assault and false pretense.

Hankerson remains in jail on a $420,000 bond.

A MSU spokesman says the freshman defensive back is no longer enrolled at the university.

Oktibbeha County investigators say Hankerson was reportedly living in Davenport Hall when he was enrolled at the university.

Hankerson’s next court date is scheduled in January.

If you have any information about these incidents call Golden Triangle Crime Stoppers at 1-800-530-7151.