Guilty verdict for killer who dumped victim's body in Newton County

A Beauregard Parish Jury on Friday returned a guilty verdict against a man who dumped his victim’s body in Newton County. The jury pronounced guilt on 31-year-old Derek Person for Murder in the August 2020 killing of 26-year-old Jimmie Box, Jr., whose body was found at an oil field site on Newton County Road 4075, just south of Bon Wier. His hands were tied behind his back and he had been shot in the head. Box, who lived in DeRidder, disappeared on Sunday, August 2nd, 2020. His pickup truck was found a few days later in Calcasieu Parish. Prosecutors convinced jurors that Person kidnapped and killed Box. Meanwhile, four other co-defendants in the case; Shona West, 35, Clinton Ford, 37, Zachary Sylvest, 25, and Hayley Limes, 28, all face charges of Murder, Criminal Conspiracy, Possession of Stolen Things, and Obstruction of Justice. Sentencing for Derek Person is scheduled for Friday, August 18th. There’s no word on court dates for the other four defendants. The investigation into the incident began in Beauregard Parish. However the investigation soon moved to Newton County and headed up by Beauregard Sheriff Mark Hereford and Newton County Sheriff Billy Rowles.