The death of 20-year-old Joel "Scott" Graves in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, has brought to light a disturbing case involving manslaughter and allegations of long-standing domestic violence. His father, Joel “Chad” Graves, 48, admitted to causing the death of his son, Joel “Scott” Graves, 20, when the two argued at the elder Graves’ home on Aug. A Mississippi man is accused of gunning his son down in an apparent domestic dispute earlier this month, according to police.
The shooting occurred on Aug. 16, when police responded to an apartment complex to find Joel Scott Graves mortally wounded from a gunshot inside an apartment, police said. The young man was declared dead at the scene. Officials said at the time that the violence appeared to have stemmed from a domestic dispute, but gave few details until the arrest of the elder Graves Wednesday evening.
The Arrest and Charges
Joel Chad Graves, 45, was arrested Wednesday and charged with fatally shooting his 20-year-old son, Joel Scott Graves, nearly two weeks after the younger Graves was found mortally wounded following a shooting at a home in Hattiesburg, Miss., police said in a statement.
A grand jury indicted Chad Graves on a charge of second-degree murder, but that was reduced to manslaughter at Thursday’s plea hearing before Forrest County Circuit Court Judge Jon Mark Weathers, The Hattiesburg American reported.
A Hattiesburg man accused of shooting his son to death in 2018 pleaded guilty to manslaughter Thursday inside Forrest County Circuit Court in Hattiesburg.
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Conflicting Testimonies and Forensic Evidence
Recognizing The Signs of Domestic Violence
There was never a question of whether Chad Graves shot and killed his son. Chad Graves told police he and his son struggled over a shotgun when it fired, striking Scott Graves in the throat, killing him.
At a preliminary hearing in 2018, Hattiesburg Police detective Erik Herrin testified evidence showed Scott Graves was lying on the ground when he was shot by his father Aug. 16, 2018. Chad Graves told police the two struggled over the shotgun when it fired, striking Scott Graves in the throat, killing him.
However, Herrin said when he examined the scene, he found shotgun pellets embedded in the baseboard and a few in the Sheetrock near the floor of the bar area where Scott Graves’ body was found. Herrin said Scott Graves’ hands were apart and up near his head when his body was found. He had no weapon in his hands.
A Mother's Grief and Allegations of Abuse
Prior to formally announcing Chad's sentence, Judge Weathers allowed the victim's mother, Jessica Powell Jaramillo, to address Chad. "He beat five wives who left him because of domestic violence. He has a long history of abusing his children, and Scott took the brunt of that abuse," Jaramillo reportedly said.
Per Jaramillo, Chad regularly pulled guns on the kids and pistol-whipped them. She reportedly said that when Scott was 16, Chad "held [Scott's] head and kneed him in the face leaving the child's eye nearly "hanging out" of the socket.
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In an interview with the Hattiesburg American, Joel Scott Graves’ mother told the newspaper that she had left her husband on Aug. 17, 2001 after he pinned her against a bed and shoved a gun in her mouth.
Jaramillo shared multiple police reports with the American verifying her ex-husband’s history of abuse, the newspaper reported. Despite her husband’s alleged violent streak, the pair shared custody of the younger Graves, who kept wanting to go back to his father against the wishes of his mother, Jaramillo told the American.
“Scott loved his daddy. He always forgave him. I know Scott will have forgiven his daddy for shooting him,” Jaramillo said prior to the sentencing.
The Sentence
Weathers sentenced Graves to the maximum - 20 years in prison and a $10,000 fine. Chad Graves was sentenced to maximum 20 years in prison and a fine of $10,000. The sentence includes time served at Forrest County Jail, where Graves has been held since his arrest.
Graves also must pay a $200 fee and all court costs, Weathers said.
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