Crime doesn’t pay, but, as it turns out, it can be pretty darn funny. So if you’re ready for a good laugh, check out the list below for some of Mississippi’s dumbest (and most entertaining) criminals.
- A Case of Unmistaken Identity
Jeff/Flickr Back in 2013, Connie Kay Lowe of Itawamba County wanted a big screen TV. She decided the best way to get one was by theft. Lowe, with the help of two others, kicked in the door of a home and walked away with her prize; however, there was one thing she left behind – her I.D.
- What’s the Number to 4-1-1?
Varvara/Flickr In 2007, police received a phone call. When there was no response they dispatched officers to the address as is protocol. So, imagine the responding officer’s surprise when he walked in on a meth lab. As it turns out, the resident of the home was trying to contact FEMA and inquire as to why he still hadn’t received his trailer after losing his home in Hurricane Katrina. The suspect meant to dial 4-1-1 but mistakenly dialed 9-1-1.
- Enter at Your Own Risk
mississippi.arrests.org In July of 2014, 30 year old Roger Beasley Jr. was not having a good day. While driving in Biloxi, police attempted to pull Beasley over for a traffic violation. Instead of pulling over, Beasley decided to run from the police. And run he did, right into a local police academy.
- A Prank Gone Wrong
jackson.craigslist.org What do bored teenagers do? Prank their friends of course. A teenager from the Jackson area decided to pull what he believed to be an extremely funny prank – run an ad on Craigslist advertising a free baby along with his friend’s contact information. Turns out, the police didn’t find the prank too amusing. They told a local newspaper the posting was “a bad practical joke” and would result in charges being filed.
- From Facebook to Getting Booked
Spencer E. Holtaway/Flickr Nowadays it seems as if just about everyone is on Facebook, and apparently that includes criminals. In October of 2011, 30 year-old Jason Andrew Smith broke into a U-Haul rental business. In the middle of burglarizing said business, Smith realized the company’s computers were left on and he just couldn’t resist logging in to his Facebook account - an act that led to his arrest.
- Is That A Lobster In Your Shorts?
Jo Jakeman/Flickr As Mississippians, we can all understand having a love for seafood, but it looks like Nathan Mark Hardy took that love to a new level. While shopping in a D’Iberville grocery store, the 35 year-old saw some lobsters and shrimp that he just couldn’t resist, so what was he to do? Stuff it all in his cargo shorts of course. That’s right, Hardy tried to leave the store with two live lobsters and two bags of jumbo shrimp stuffed in his shorts.
- A Pain in My Kidney Beans
Pearl Pirie/Flickr After repeated break-ins at a local drug store, the pharmacist decided to get revenge. Each time the Pascagoula pharmacy was burglarized, the thief would steal the exact same thing – a bottle of the pain medication Lortab. Finally, pharmacist Mac Clark decided enough was enough and set a decoy. Filling a Lortab bottle with kidney beans, Clark patiently waited for the next heist. The burglar returned soon after and did exactly as Clark expected – stole a bottle of kidney beans.
- A Naked Encounter
Natalie Maynor/Flickr Infatuations with supernatural phenomena are common these days, but Robert Hurst took paranormal investigating to a whole new level. While visiting a Mississippi cemetery in hopes catching orbs on film, Hurst decided it was best to get completely naked; a decision that he would later regret as it led to his getting arrested for indecent exposure. When asked by the “Picayune Item” newspaper about his decision, he explained that his skin was the “best canvas to show spirits’ orbs of energy.” Oh, okay. It all makes sense now (that’s sarcasm in case you couldn’t tell).
- Once, Twice, Ten Times a Thief
Mike Mozart/Flickr Some people just never learn their lesson as is the case with this criminal. Back in 2010, a man was caught stealing several items from a Kohl’s department store. When police tried to apprehend the suspect he gave chase. After catching him, Mississippi police ran the man’s name through the system and found out he had quite the rap sheet which included several felony convictions. Due to his repeated offenses, the suspect’s Kohl’s shopping spree was definitely his last; he was sentenced to life in prison.
Know of any other dumb Mississippi criminals? Be sure to share in the comments section below!
Jeff/Flickr
Back in 2013, Connie Kay Lowe of Itawamba County wanted a big screen TV. She decided the best way to get one was by theft. Lowe, with the help of two others, kicked in the door of a home and walked away with her prize; however, there was one thing she left behind – her I.D.
Varvara/Flickr
In 2007, police received a phone call. When there was no response they dispatched officers to the address as is protocol. So, imagine the responding officer’s surprise when he walked in on a meth lab. As it turns out, the resident of the home was trying to contact FEMA and inquire as to why he still hadn’t received his trailer after losing his home in Hurricane Katrina. The suspect meant to dial 4-1-1 but mistakenly dialed 9-1-1.
mississippi.arrests.org
In July of 2014, 30 year old Roger Beasley Jr. was not having a good day. While driving in Biloxi, police attempted to pull Beasley over for a traffic violation. Instead of pulling over, Beasley decided to run from the police. And run he did, right into a local police academy.
jackson.craigslist.org
What do bored teenagers do? Prank their friends of course. A teenager from the Jackson area decided to pull what he believed to be an extremely funny prank – run an ad on Craigslist advertising a free baby along with his friend’s contact information. Turns out, the police didn’t find the prank too amusing. They told a local newspaper the posting was “a bad practical joke” and would result in charges being filed.
Spencer E. Holtaway/Flickr
Nowadays it seems as if just about everyone is on Facebook, and apparently that includes criminals. In October of 2011, 30 year-old Jason Andrew Smith broke into a U-Haul rental business. In the middle of burglarizing said business, Smith realized the company’s computers were left on and he just couldn’t resist logging in to his Facebook account - an act that led to his arrest.
Jo Jakeman/Flickr
As Mississippians, we can all understand having a love for seafood, but it looks like Nathan Mark Hardy took that love to a new level. While shopping in a D’Iberville grocery store, the 35 year-old saw some lobsters and shrimp that he just couldn’t resist, so what was he to do? Stuff it all in his cargo shorts of course. That’s right, Hardy tried to leave the store with two live lobsters and two bags of jumbo shrimp stuffed in his shorts.
Pearl Pirie/Flickr
After repeated break-ins at a local drug store, the pharmacist decided to get revenge. Each time the Pascagoula pharmacy was burglarized, the thief would steal the exact same thing – a bottle of the pain medication Lortab. Finally, pharmacist Mac Clark decided enough was enough and set a decoy. Filling a Lortab bottle with kidney beans, Clark patiently waited for the next heist. The burglar returned soon after and did exactly as Clark expected – stole a bottle of kidney beans.
Natalie Maynor/Flickr
Infatuations with supernatural phenomena are common these days, but Robert Hurst took paranormal investigating to a whole new level. While visiting a Mississippi cemetery in hopes catching orbs on film, Hurst decided it was best to get completely naked; a decision that he would later regret as it led to his getting arrested for indecent exposure. When asked by the “Picayune Item” newspaper about his decision, he explained that his skin was the “best canvas to show spirits’ orbs of energy.” Oh, okay. It all makes sense now (that’s sarcasm in case you couldn’t tell).
Mike Mozart/Flickr
Some people just never learn their lesson as is the case with this criminal. Back in 2010, a man was caught stealing several items from a Kohl’s department store. When police tried to apprehend the suspect he gave chase. After catching him, Mississippi police ran the man’s name through the system and found out he had quite the rap sheet which included several felony convictions. Due to his repeated offenses, the suspect’s Kohl’s shopping spree was definitely his last; he was sentenced to life in prison.
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