Woman charged with murder after body found Wednesday in Laurel

LAUREL, Miss. (WDAM) - Laurel police charged a woman with murder in connection to the death investigation of a woman whose body was found in Laurel on Wednesday, Oct. 5.

According to the Laurel Police Department, 54-year-old Phyllis Tiller Watts (Watts-Tiller) of Laurel was arrested in a Walmart parking lot and charged with one count of murder around noon on Friday, Oct. 7.

Watts had her initial appearance in the Laurel Municipal Court on Sunday, Oct. 9, where her bond was set at $750,000.

On Wednesday, officers responded to an empty house on Lindsey Avenue around 5:30 p.m. about a report of a deceased person. Officers located a body believed to be an African American female at the scene.

The coroner estimates the time of death to be six months up to a year ago.

The LPD is withholding the victim’s identity pending notification of family from out of state.

Investigator Brad Anderson is the lead investigator in the case.

The LPD said it would like to thank District Attorney Brad Thompson, the Jones County Coroner’s Office and the citizens who provided information about the incident.

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