The suspect in the murder of Phillip Dunn and Marcus Journigan has been charged in connection with a murder before.
Tommy Lee White was charged with accessory after the fact of the murder of 21-year-old Thomas Giles in 2002. Giles was gambling in a dice game at White’s home when he was killed by Darwin Strahan and Micah Ruffin after winning hundreds of dollars in the game.
Giles was severely beaten and robbed of his shoes and money before being killed taken to a field and murdered.
Strahan and Ruffin were both convicted of capital murder and are serving life sentences.
White first became well known to local law enforcement as a teenager in 1999 when he attempted to make a purchase at a local business with a poor quality counterfeit $100 bill and left his driver’s license behind after fleeing when the merchant became questioned the bill.
More incidents followed. In 2000 he was charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. In 2002 he was charged with possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute. In 2009 he was charged with uttering forgery.
Investigators believe that White murdered Marcus Journigan after killing Phillip Dunn. They believe Journigan helped White hide Dunn’s body, and then was White murdered Journigan to eliminate him as a possible witness to the crime.
Journigan’s body was found near the railroad tracks on Ford Avenue in Jackson.
Some Yazooans who knew White and Journigan expressed surprise that White was charged with Journigan’s murder as the two appeared to be close friends.
Journigan posted a photo of himself and White at a birthday celebration for White on Feb. 8.
“Happy celebrations and many more to come brother,” Journigan wrote to White.
White and Journigan also had a partnership in a local carwash business.
On Tuesday White was denied bond in Yazoo County Justice Court. He remains in the Yazoo County Regional Correctional Facility.
Investigators were still searching for Dunn’s body at press time.
Anyone with any information about the case is urged to call the sheriff’s department at 746-5611.
