Fourth person arrested as Mississippi man found in freezer

PURVIS, Miss. (AP) – A fourth Mississippi resident has been arrested after a man was found dead in a freezer.

Lamar County Sheriff Danny Rigel says 59-year-old James Simmons was arrested Wednesday. He’s charged with two counts of grand larceny and a probation violation.

Rigel says he believes Simmons and three others arrested are connected to the death of Thomas Burns. Relatives found the 54-year-old Burns inside a freezer in his Purvis home on Tuesday. Rigel says no one has been charged with the killing because investigators await an autopsy.

Rigel tells WDAM-TV that deputies seek to recover property they believe was stolen.

A judge is denying bail to Simmons, 31-year-old Samantha Simmons and 51-year-old Andy Hartfield. Bail is set at $10,000 for Will Bryson.

It’s unclear if any of the people have lawyers.

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Information from: WDAM-TV, http://www.wdam.com

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