BAY ST. LOUIS
The body of Jerome Thomas, 27, was found washed up on the beach just south of the Bay-Waveland Yacht Club last Thursday, Bay St. Louis Police Chief Tom Burleson said.
“At 5 p.m. on December 24, Central Dispatch notified Bay police that a citizen had discovered a body on the beach,” Burleson said. “Chief of Detectives Lt. Paul Cox was notified and – in checking the victim – found no signs of life. Hancock Corner Norma Stiglet was then notified.”
Stiglet said Monday that an autopsy was performed on the victim and his death was caused by drowning – there were no injury marks on the body.
“Jerome Thomas was reported as missing by his brother Maurice Thomas at 12.23 a.m. on December 9,” Burleson said. “Maurice said he had seen his brother Jerome at 8 p.m. on December 7 when he went to bed. In the early hours of December 8, Maurice Thomas said he went to check on his brother and found a note stating, ‘I am going for a walk and will be back.’ By a little after midnight, he notified Bay police that his brother was missing.”
In a report on December 10, Burleson said, “Jerome Thomas matched the sketchy descriptions motorists called in (the previous) morning of a man who may have jumped off the bridge during a torrential down pour. Information was received from a bridge motorist who reportedly had seen a person at the highest point on the bridge (climb) on the rail and roll over. The area is in Harrison County. Our officers could find nothing on the bridge or see anything in the water. This was during a heavy rain storm.
“I remained at the site until around 8:15 a.m. and the Department of Marine Resources had begun a water search with two boats. Bay officers had interviewed several motorists layer who had traveled the bridge at the time the unidentified man had allegedly gone over the rail. With this information from his brother and the other information gathered, we felt Jerome Thomas may have jumped off the bridge.”
A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter joined DMR in the search on the first day; and two Hancock County Sheriff’s Office boats joined the next. DMR continued the search for several days.
