Three family members killed, one severely injured in Mississippi tornado

CARROLL CO., Miss. (WLBT) - A family was tragically killed by a Mississippi tornado last Friday.

“I think I fainted,” Lashonda Hemphill-Gerriff, a family member, said. “I got the call from my daughter saying they couldn’t locate them.”

However, she got the call before she could make it to Carroll County. “Then I got the call back that said, ‘Hey, they found all three of them deceased,’” Lashonda said.

The victims are identified as 54-year-old Helen Munford, 51-year-old Dany Munford, and their 14-year-old twin son JaDarrion Murphy. All three were killed during the storm. The other twin son remains severely injured.

Family members say the strong tornado picked up the mobile home and tore it into pieces, leaving behind miles of debris.

“Helen was our first cousin,” Lashanda said. “Our moms were sisters, Dany was her husband, and JaDaririon was their 14-year-old son. He was a twin, and they lost their lives during the storm. One of the twins managed to survive. He’s mentally not there. He has broken bones, but he’s still alive here with us, so we are still trying to process the fact of losing three family members at one time. They just kept the family together.”

Those I spoke with say the family land has been around for more than sixty years. Now, most of the homes on the property are either blown away or severely damaged. Debris and what used to be personal belongings can be seen scattered out in the field. Family members say right now, they are still trying to process things as they cope with this devastating loss.

“This is the first time that we even had anything close to this,” said Lashanda. “If you look around, we can’t even imagine how were are going to even pick up the pieces and rebuild. It’s going to be really difficult.”

Federal emergency assistance is what the family says they desperately need right now. A GoFundMe has also been created to help bury their three loved ones. It’s called “Hope for the Hemphills.”

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