Prentiss County Woman Sentenced to 30 Years After Pleading Guilty to Attempted Murder
A Prentiss County woman has been sentenced to 30 years in prison after pleading guilty to attempted murder and aggravated assault charges stemming from separate incidents.
According to the District Attorney’s Office, Veronica Gillespie entered guilty pleas on April 8, 2026, for an attempted murder charge related to an August 26, 2023 incident, as well as an aggravated assault charge tied to a November 8, 2022 case, both in Prentiss County.
Circuit Court Judge Kelly Mims sentenced Gillespie to 40 years in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections, with 10 years suspended, leaving 30 years to serve for the attempted murder conviction. She also received a 20-year sentence for aggravated assault, which was fully suspended and ordered to run consecutively.
Officials credited Booneville Police Department Detective Karl Courtney for his work on the investigation. The cases were prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Joel Baldwin and Reagan Wise on behalf of the State of Mississippi.
