A Mississippi teenager accused of killing an elderly couple was previously familiar to local law enforcement. According to an incident report, deputies had named him a suspect in several burglaries and car thefts in the area.
Authorities allege that Cordarius Hobbs, 17, is responsible for the deaths of Billy Blair, 74, and his wife, Virginia Carol Blair, 71. The incident occurred on June 3, after Hobbs allegedly broke into their home in Mendenhall, Mississippi. During a preliminary hearing in July, family members revealed Hobbs had performed work for the Blairs, such as household cleaning, prior to the shooting.
An incident report from the Simpson County Sheriff’s Department described Hobbs as a “troubled juvenile” linked to numerous crimes locally.
“When we first arrived, I and other Deputies and Investigators believed the suspect could be a troubled juvenile known to us as Cordarius Hobbs, who is also suspected of many other home burglaries as well as auto theft in this immediate area,” the report stated.
Billy Newsome, Hobbs’ grandfather, expressed doubt over the allegations. He suggested that Hobbs might have been called to work on the day of the incident and insisted on his grandson’s innocence.
“My grandson used to work for the man, why you gone rob a man that you work for,” Newsome said. “Why you gone stay there that long and you know the police out there, and then you gone wait until everybody gets there to run, it just ain’t adding up, something just ain’t right here.”
On June 3, contractors arrived at the Blairs’ home to install a generator and found a car door open with weapons inside. Concerned, they contacted the Simpson County Sheriff’s Department for a welfare check. By noon, law enforcement arrived and were met with gunfire, initiating a standoff that lasted nearly two hours. Hobbs was captured after attempting to flee, unarmed when he was detained.
During court proceedings, an investigator revealed that Carol Blair was found shot in a bedroom, while her husband, Billy, was discovered in the kitchen with gunshot wounds.
Hobbs’ defense attorney, Zachary Vaughn, noted that Hobbs has been respectful during their interactions. Vaughn maintains a lack of forensic evidence directly ties Hobbs to the crime, questioning the possibility of another individual’s involvement.
“There was nothing to say he’s a principal, he’s the one that pulled the trigger on these things,” Vaughn said. “One of the things alone was, one of the victims was shot twice on one side of the head and once on the other. I think that’s pretty compelling that somebody else may have been in there. There’s a lot of things that are possible, just a tremendous amount of things.”
Hobbs faces multiple charges, including two counts of capital murder and burglary. He remains in custody without bail. The Blairs’ family shared their grief on Facebook, expressing their immense sorrow and sense of loss.
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