HARRISON COUNTY
A body found on the side of a road in Harrison County Tuesday evening was identified by Harrison Coroner Gary Hargrove as that of Wanda Lafern Holling, age 70, of Kiln, who was reported missing on Jan. 5.
Mrs. Holling’s body was found off Turan Road by a Harrison County road crew,
“This investigation is a team effort and on-going, involving many agencies,” Hancock Sheriff Steve Garber said yesterday. “We have our investigative department; there is Harrison County Sheriff Melvin T. Brisolara’s investigators, Harrison County Coroner Gary Hargrove; the District Attorney’s Office; the Mississippi Crime Lab; Mississippi Highway Patrol Investigative Unit; and Dr. Paul McGarry, forensic pathologist.”
Hargrove as yet had not released a cause of death, but Garber said the case is being handled as a homicide.
He said it had not yet been decided whether Harrison or Hancock county authorities will be in charge of the case, but investigators from both counties are working very closely together on it. Hancock County’s lead investigator is John Luther.
For days following the missing persons report, Hancock County Sheriff Department’s Special Operations Unit – under the direction of Major Matt Karl and made up of deputies, firefighters and trained civilian volunteers, along with, Gulf Coast Search & Rescue Unit – searched the rugged woods near the Holling’s home. During the search, people on foot, four-wheelers and horseback combed the area.
Mrs. Holling resided on Highway 603 near County Road 312. Sheriff’s Investigator John Bunce and Investigator Brandon Normand conducted a sonar search of a burrow pit and a creek near the residence of Mrs Holling’s and found nothing of interest.
After Mrs. Holling was missing, Garber said his department received a number of tips which turned out to be less than helpful.
On Jan. 5, Hancock Deputy Ricky Trudell recieved a report from a family member that Mrs. Holling was missing from her residence and had last been seen on the Jan. 3 by Timothy Evans. Witnesses had indicated that Mrs,. Holling may have left the state with an unnamed couple, Garber said at the time. According to Timothy Evans, a male boarder, Holling reportedly had departed from her residence that Sunday morning with close friends, bound for a vacation in Florida.
Normand said yesterday that the investigation is continuing.
BY” Ellis C. Cuevas
The Sea Coast Echo
