Artesia community reacts to triple homicide

LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) –  It was an emotional scene Tuesday afternoon as friends, family and neighbors began to hear about the tragedy.

The triple homicide in Artesia happened late Tuesday afternoon on Mobile Road.

The emotion and shock remained there Wednesday, as neighbors tried to wrap their minds around everything.

Fewer than 500 people live in Artesia.

A crime of this magnitude has this small town very shaken up.

Many said it’s like a nightmare

Why? How? Those are the questions everyone is asking.

“Three people were murdered! It seems unreal it seems like a dream or something, that you’re just going to wake up from,” said one of the victim’s cousin Sonja Price.

“I thought I was dreaming I thought a tragedy like this would never happen in Artesia because we’re so close to gather as friends and family, said Artesia Mayor Jimmy Sanders.

Lowndes County investigators said two victims were found inside this home. A third victim was in the backyard.

“These were some good guys. I never knew either one of these guys to be any kind of trouble, so they were some wonderful fellas,” said Sanders. “They were raised by good people, so these were good guys, and we just don’t understand why would this? How could this happen?”

When Danielle Price heard police heading to the scene she followed them.

She says that’s when she and her mother saw her cousin, 22-year old cousin Mauricio Nance, laying on the ground face down.

“She said every time she closes her eyes, she sees him laying there and she’s just crying and crying and crying and so I’m praying to God that she will soon get over this, you know, because we never had this happen in Artesia,” said Price.

Price says she and cousin had just talked Saturday night, but hadn’t seen him in a while,  until Tuesday at the crime scene.

“He was only here for like 45 minutes, 45 minutes. My cousin said he saw him walking down here,” said Price. “He was sitting on the porch and he just jumped up and said he was going to get a cigarette and next thing you know he was gone.”

Sonja Price is also cousins with Nance.

She said he was more like a son to her.

“Why did he have to do this these three young men? You took their life. You hurt a lot of people. A lot of people are hurting from this, including his family, because they didn’t have any idea that he would do anything like this.”

The mayor is asking everyone for their prayers during this tragic time.