On Oct. 6, 2026, the First Circuit District Attorney’s Office said Jaylen Wells, 22, pleaded guilty to three counts of manslaughter and was sentenced in connection with killings in Tupelo.
The office said the victims were Norahs Coleman, Jessica Pannell and Robben Wilson, who were killed on July 24, 2021 while attending a social gathering on Maynard Drive in Tupelo.
According to the district attorney’s office, Wells was apprehended by the Tupelo Police Department in Albany, New York. Upon the acceptance of the guilty pleas, Circuit Court Judge Kelly Mims sentenced Wells to a total term of 31 years in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections, with an additional 29 years suspended.
The DA’s office noted Wells had been set for trial to begin Oct. 26, 2026, in the Circuit Court of Lee County.
The release said law enforcement and the victims’ families approved the plea agreement. The office identified Det. Tyler Cook as leading the Tupelo Police Department’s investigation and named Assistant District Attorney Josh Wise as the prosecutor. The release also commended DA Office Criminal Investigator Mike Newlin and Victim’s Assistance Coordinator Sheila Kelly for their work on the cases.
The press release stated that three other defendants in the case previously entered guilty pleas: Taquon Garth, who on May 1, 2026, received a total sentence of 60 years for three manslaughter charges; Javion Clifton, who on Sept. 20, 2023, was sentenced to 20 years with an additional 40 years suspended for three manslaughter charges; and Shamar Carroll, who on Sept. 20, 2023, was sentenced to 15 years with an additional five years suspended for Accessory After the Fact to Capital Murder.
The release was signed by Jason D. Herring, District Attorney, First Circuit Court District.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
