Suicide note discovered after suspect killed in Mississippi.

Plaquemines Parish Sheriff Michael L. Lafrance, announced Friday that forensic evidence obtained from the home of murder victim James Durwood Jones, along with a pair of blood stained blue jeans that was recovered from the vehicle of murder suspect Carl Lance Wise, has positively linked Wise to the murder of Jones.

On Thursday, January 19, Plaquemines Parish Deputies went to Mr. Jones’ home in Jesuit Bend after friends reported that he had not been seen recently. The deputies discovered the body of Mr. Jones, 72. He had been bludgeoned, and died as the result of blunt force trauma.

Plaquemines Parish Detectives soon developed information that Wise, a former co-worker with the victim was a possible suspect. However, before they could locate Wise for questioning, it was discovered that he had been killed in Biloxi after a string of armed robberies in Florida and the Biloxi-D’Iberville area. Wise was shot and killed, after arming himself with a knife and attempting to attack the arresting officers. 

A suicide note, written by Wise, prior to the Biloxi area robberies, was found in a vehicle search, along with a pair of blood stained blue jeans. Deputies have not released the exact contents of the suicide note, but indicated that it contained writing about Wise’s sorrows, addiction problems and intent to end his life himself or by a third party.

DNA evidence obtained from the victim’s home and the recovered vehicle linked Wise directly to the murder of Jones.

“I want to express my deepest appreciation to the citizens of Plaquemines who provided our detectives with information that led to the identification of Carl Lance Wise,” said Sheriff Michael L. Lafrance. “I also want to thank all of the agencies that cooperated with our office, solving this senseless murder. Finally, I would like to personally commend the responding police officers from the Biloxi-D’Iberville area, who placed their lives in extreme danger, in their attempt to apprehend this suicidal, murder suspect.”