Found Deceased MS - Donovan Cowart, 26, George County, 13 Jan 2013 *Arrests*

[KateB]

Officially identified.

Authorities ID Remains Found In Pond
Posted: May 06, 2015 1:29 PM CST

Human remains found in a pond Monday in Greene County, Mississippi have been identified as those of Donovan Ray Cowart.

RIP Donovan.

 

[TravelingBug]

"Once we recovered a body, evidence kept falling into place," George County Capt Ben Brown explained. "We finally had some physical evidence to support what we heard and were able to get those people in. Once they began to realize we had physical evidence, people began to confess to what was going on."

Investigators believe the murder is drug related and they expect more arrests will be made.

http://www.wlox.com/story/28993138/sheriff-human-remains-likely-missing-george-co-man

The previously named POI, the former Ravens player, Ralph Staten, is thus far not arrested.

It'll be interesting to see if he ends up being one of the additional anticipated arrests or if after more investigation and the tip if their direction turned toward the two currently arrested and the others apparently still on their radar.

 

[TravelingBug]

One of the men charged with the murder of Donovan Cowart showed investigators where they threw evidence into the pond. (Photo source: WLOX)

http://www.wlox.com/story/28993138/sheriff-human-remains-likely-missing-george-co-man

This photo reminds me of Misty Croslin in chains with investigators at the St. Johns river when they were searching for Haleigh Cummings

 

[JusticeWillBeServed]

Welford McCarty gets life sentence for murder of Donovan Cowart

http://www.wlox.com/story/34521804/welford-mccarty-gets-life-sentence-for-murder-of-donovan-cowart

Welford "Pork Chop" McCarty will spend the rest of his life in prison for killing Donovan Cowart and dumping his body in a pond in 2013.

A Greene County jury found McCarty guilty of capital murder and desecration of a human corpse Thursday morning after a three-day trial.

The judge sentenced him to life in prison without the possibility of parole on the capital murder charge plus three years for the desecration charge. McCarty was also ordered to pay $5,000 in fines.

"The family has waited four years to find out what happened to Donovan Cowart, and while I know this won't bring him back, I hope it will give them some peace that the justice system worked in holding McCarty accountable for Donovan's death," said District Attorney Tony Lawrence.

http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2017/02/george_county_man_found_guilty.html

McCarty's co-defendant in the case, Robert Virgil Stephens, testified for the prosecution after reaching a plea deal which will result a sentence of 20-30 years in state prison.

According to reports, Stephens told the jury he helped McCarty dig up the body from its original makeshift grave and chop it up into pieces which were then placed in multiple trash bags. The trash bags, in turn, were placed inside a tarp with cinder blocks to weigh it down.

The body was moved, Stephens said, because McCarty was fearful investigators would search his property where the murder took place.

"There were so many issues in this case that the jury couldn't hear because of our rules of evidence," said district attorney Tony Lawrence. "I am proud that the jury took the time to listen to, analyze and deliberate on the evidence that was presented in this case.