By Jeremy Pittari, Item Staff Writer
The Picayune Item
PICAYUNE —
The victim’s name in this weekend’s murder has been released now that next of kin have been notified.
Saturday night a shooting occurred that led to the death of 33-year-old Nickoles Ray Sullivan, a shooting that is alleged to have been perpetrated by his live-in girlfriend, said Pearl River County Sheriff’s Department Chief Deputy Donnie Saucier.
That night at about 10, the suspect, 40-year-old Alina Lamey called 911 to report her boyfriend had been shot by an unseen person, but investigation into the case led the detectives to suspect Lamey was actually the one who pulled the trigger, Saucier said. Lamey was arrested Sunday morning, about 12 hours after the call was made, for the charge of murder, Saucier said.
The investigation was conducted by the Pearl River County Sheriff's Department with assistance from the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation due to the large scale of the crime scene, Saucier said.
Initial reports of the shooting provided by Lamey to emergency responders state the couple was sitting by a camp fire near their home on 59 B Burgetown Road, when an unknown shooter shot Sullivan. Sullivan then walked to the front steps of his home where he collapsed and died from the bullet wound, Saucier said.
Deputies found Sullivan dead in his front yard and the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation Crime Scene Unit was called in to assist due to the distance from the campfire to the home’s front yard, Saucier said.
While Saucier declined to elaborate on the type of gun used, he did say the weapon used a small caliber bullet and has been recovered.
Pearl River Coroner Derek Turnage said Sullivan was shot in the back and his cause of death has been ruled as due to the damage the bullet caused when it entered the abdominal region and became lodged in his chest.
Lamey is being held on a $500,000 bond, Saucier said.
