Video: Pontotoc Man Charged With Thursday Night Stabbing Death of Woman in Tupelo

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TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI) – A Pontotoc man is charged with murder and in jail on a one million dollar bond after police say he confessed to stabbing his girlfriend to death.

Fifty nine year old Billy Merle Copeland made his initial appearance this afternoon at Lee County Justice Court.

Police say Copeland and his girlfriend, 39 year-old Tamiko Morris of Tupelo, got into an argument Thursday afternoon in a room at the Motel 6 on McCullough Boulevard.

Investigators say Copeland stabbed Morris to death, then ran away.

A tip led officers to Robert E Lee and South Gloster Streets, where Copeland was arrested during a traffic stop.

“We’re going over all of the stuff we went through from the crime scene, all the pictures, everything we have to try and make sure we have everything covered so that we don’t have any loopholes or anything in it, but even with the confession, we have to make sure we have all of our stuff documented.”

Copeland is a convicted felon. It’s not known what the two were arguing about. Police say the murder weapon has been recovered.