The case surrounding the murder of Perry Hollins resembles the plotline of a crime movie. But eight years ago, the case was not a piece of fiction but rather a local murder case that remains open with no arrests made in connection to his shooting death in Yazoo City.
Hollins was 28 years old when his body was discovered in an overturned car with gunshot wounds to the head on Aug. 25, 2014 on Rainbow Street. Had he not been murdered, he was scheduled to testify against Jelani Miles in a Yazoo County Circuit Court murder trial the very next day.
Family and friends of Hollins, who wish to remain anonymous for safety concerns, said Hollins was a hardworking man who took his job at Nissan seriously.
“He was not a bad person,” said one acquaintance. “He always worked hard for a living and liked to keep himself in nice clothes, clean looking. Right before he was murdered, he was about to move into a place of him own. In fact, he had boxes of his belongings in his car to move in the night he was murdered.”
“We helped each other out,” another friend said. “The night he died, he gave me twenty dollars. I didn’t know that would be the last time I saw him.”
Friends also said Hollins had a “soft spot” for children and would often participate in school supply drives and any other activities involving the local youth.
The story of Hollins’ murder is filled with twists and turns, violence and bloodshed, leading up to the night he was shot to death. The Yazoo Herald followed the case from its very beginning…a Brickyard Hill argument that led to murder.
The Beginning
Hollins’ story begins on the night of Oct. 6, 2011 on Ethel Street. An altercation between a couple led to accusations and, eventually, murder.
During the argument, which attracted friends and family members of the parties involved, a phone call was made to Jelani Miles to arrive on the scene. More phone calls were made to other parties, including Cortez Tate.
Hollins was a passenger in the vehicle with Tate. According to court records, multiple gunshots would ring out in the area with witnesses stating that “they saw Miles holding a gun immediately after they heard the first round of shots.” After the shooting stopped, Tate and Hollins were taken in a private vehicle to the local hospital, where Tate would later die from gunshot wounds.
“Jelani Miles fired an assault-style rife into a crowd of people in Yazoo City, killing Cortez Tate and injuring Perry Hollins,” court records state.
Those same court records said that Hollins spoke with police investigators, identifying Miles as the shooter. Four days later, Miles turned himself into the authorities.
The Trial
The case headed to trial in August of 2014. Hollins was to testify in the trial as a state witness against Miles.
But he would never make it to court. He would be murdered near the same location of the original shooting less than 24 hours before he was to take the witness stand.
“There was video footage from a local convenience store that shows Hollins purchasing a soda and a snack,” a family member said. “I truly believe he was lured to Rainbow Street. They knew once they got him there, they could get rid of him because they knew he was a key witness in that murder trial.”
Hollins was later discovered inside an overturned car on Rainbow Street with gunshot wounds to his head. According to reports, he was on an incline when he was shot, eventually flipping upside down and landing partially in a ditch.
It was also reported that the family home of Miles was also shot into the night of Hollins’ murder. No injuries were reported in that shooting.
A Mistrial, Later Conviction
After Hollins was murdered and Miles’ home was shot into, the court declared a mistrial. However, Miles headed to trial a second time, and “the trial court admitted a statement, record by the police and given by the eyewitness before his death, identifying Miles as the shooter.”
Although Hollins was murdered before he could testify on the witness stand, the jury heard his recorded statement during the second trial in April of 2019. Despite his death, his statement remained a crucial part of the trial.
Miles was convicted of shooting into a vehicle, aggravated assault and second-degree murder. He was sentenced to five years for shooting into a vehicle, 20 years with five years suspended for aggravated assault, and life for second-degree murder, with all sentences to run consecutively.
Miles is currently appealing his conviction in the state supreme court.
A Demand for Justice
The family and friends of Hollins remain vigilant in their fight to bring closure to his murder.
“His case has been pretty quiet lately,” one family member said. “I was speaking with a detective about the case, but after they left the local police department, I haven’t heard anything.”
Hollins’ murder case was also given to the Mississippi Bureau of Investigations. Phone calls to the MBI cold case division were not returned to The Herald by press time.
“It is no coincidence that Perry was killed the night before he was supposed to testify in a murder trial,” a family member said. “We would very much appreciate the same effort from law enforcement on this murder case as they give to drug busts. We are not asking for sympathy, pity or handouts. We are just asking for a thorough investigation. Something needs to be done before another innocent person dies.”
Family members said that although they remain anxious about the case, protection comes from faith and God.
“I am protected because I have left it in His hands,” a family member said. “But we will never give up on this matter. Perry Hollins was a human being loved by many, especially his family. No matter how long it takes, we will continue seeking justice.”
