Mississippi Man Arrested After Allegedly Killing Girlfriend, 7-Year-Old Son

In Mississippi, the Scott County Sheriff’s Office has charged James Fulgham in the shooting deaths of his girlfriend Zina Williams, 36, and her 7-year-old son Zacchaeus Williams. According to WJTV, Fulgham has been charged with two counts of capital murder and one count of arson, and could face additional charges.

The Scott County Sheriff’s Office said Zina and her son were found dead after firefighters arrived to a fire call at 548 Wash Drive in Lauderdale County, Mississippi, on Oct. 9. Scott County deputies were called to the scene after firefighters discovered the two bodies, which had both been shot, inside the burning home, WJTV 12 News reported.

Fulgham, who reportedly had a relationship with the woman, was named a suspect and arrested at 2:30 p.m. in Lauderdale County. On Oct. 10, the Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Office stated that investigators used technology to discover a wanted vehicle in connection to the homicides. The vehicle was located in the woods near the suspect’s home.

“Investigators saturated the area and began the process of a search warrant for a residence located in the 8300 block of King Road. While in the process of preparing to approach the residence, the suspect was spotted in a vehicle on King Road. The vehicle stopped at another residence across the road. Fulgham was taken into custody without incident,” the sheriff’s office described in a statement.

“It looks like, in just the preliminary [investigation], the child may have heard the gunshot, got scared, hollered, and then became a victim himself,” Scott County Sheriff Mike Lee told WAPT. Investigators believe an argument between Zina and Fulgham may have led to the shooting.

According to NBC affiliate WLBT-TV, Scott County Sheriff Mike Lee said, “It looks like she was shot once. The child was shot at least three times, maybe more.”

He added that neighbors, who spoke with investigators, heard “a small altercation and also heard what they believe were gunshots.”

Sheriff Lee added that neighbors saw Fulgham leaving the residence alone.