Two charged with capital murder


Thursday, November 15, 2007
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Two charged with capital murder

By SUE WATSON
Staff Writer

Two suspects were arrested last week and charged with capital murder in the death of a Lexington, Tenn., man, according to Sheriff Kenny Dickerson.

A third suspect was arrested and charged with accesory after the fact of capital murder and with obstruction of justice.

A multi-agency investigation produced two suspects within four days of the incident that ended in an attempt to conceal the cause of death of Joe Beale, 24, by the burning of a car with his body inside on a dirt road off Dogwood Road in Marshall County. The burned-out vehicle with the corpse inside was discovered by a hunter with hunting lease rights in the remote area of Marshall County on Saturday, November 3.

Two suspects, Marcus Dashun Hullett, 21, of 1074 Bubba Taylor Road in the Byhalia area, and his cousin, Barry H. Hullett, 26, of 65 Montgomery Way, Lexington, Tenn., were picked up and charged with capital murder, Dickerson said.

Marcus Dashun Hullett made an initial appearance before Judge Eugene Brown in Marshall County justice court Thursday last week. The court set a preliminary hearing for the defendant for November 19.

Marshall County authorities filed extradition papers for the return of Barry H. Hullett to face charges. Barry Hullett was picked up by Lexington authorities on an official warrant from Marshall County around 3 p.m. Wednesday last week, Dickerson said. Marcus Dashun Hullett was arrested in Marshall County Tuesday, November 6.

The third suspect, Yulandrius Quinnyel Jones, 21, of 1688 Deer Creek Road in the Byhalia area, was arrested November 7 at a location on Deer Creek Road by Marshall County investigators after the sheriff received information he could possibly know about the murder weapon involved in the killing of Beale, Dickerson said.

Jones was officially charged and released on $10,000 secure bond and awaits the spring 2008 session of Marshall County grand jury.

Authorities believe the robbery/murder took place the afternoon of Friday, November 2.

“Our investigation reveals an amount of cash was taken from the victim before or during the homicide,” Dickerson said. “We believe the robbery and murder took place in or around the residence of Marcus Dashun Hullett. Following the robbery/murder the victim was hauled in the victim’s car to the location on old Mt. Carmel Road area north of Dogwood Road.”

Investigators have reason to believe that Barry H. Hullett and Beale drove to Marshall County together in the Chevrolet car owned by a friend of Beales Friday. And after the murder, authorities believe Barry H. Hullett drove the deceased in the same car to the location on Mt. Carmel Road beside a cemetery.

“Investigators believe a container of gasoline was brought from the Marcus Dashun Hullett residence to the Mt. Carmel Road area and both the victim and the car were saturated with gasoline and set on fire there,” Dickerson said.

Although a forensic analysis and autopsy report were not available Thursday, Dickerson said investigators believe Beale was shot one or more times in the upper torso. Beale’s remains were transported to the state medical examiner’s office by coroner John Garrison where examiners will determine, as best as can be determined, the contributing factors to the cause of death, the sheriff said.

Investigator Kelly McMillen took DNA samples of the deceased to the state medical examiner’s office Monday in an effort to assist forensic experts in positively identifying Beale’s remains, he said.

Investigators believe that Marcus Dashun Hullett drove to the cemetery in another vehicle and after the vehicle was set afire, that he drove Barry H. Hullett back to the Lexington area to a location near Barry Hullett’s residence where he was dropped off, Dickerson said.

Investigators located an AK 47 rifle buried in a wooded area several hundred yards behind Jones house, Dickerson said. The rifle was wrapped in clothing believed to belong to Marcus Hullett and buried using a sharp shooter shovel, the sheriff said.

“The facts indicate and we believe that Marcus Hullett brought the rifle to Jones for keeping,” Dickerson said. “Jones, knowing soon thereafter the weapon had been used in a homicide, then took the AK 47 rifle into the woods and buried it.”

Dickerson said other items of evidence - such as spent casings - were recovered that he believes will link the rifle to to the killing of Beale.

Barry Hullett was still in jail in Lexington, Tenn., as of Monday.

He thanked the many agents who worked many long and exhausting hours to develop leads in the case.

“I want to thank investigator Kelly McMillen for many long hours.

“He, along with myself and other deputies, worked closely with officers with the Mississippi Highway Patrol Criminal Investigations Bureau, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, officers with the U.S. Marshals Service in Oxford and Tennessee, and officers with the counties and cities. Through the efforts of all these agencies working together, we successfully put this case together in a very effective manner as prescribed by law,” Dickerson said.

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