Mississippi teen accused of killing elderly couple was known to deputies before attack

The Mississippi teenager accused of killing an elderly couple in their home was already familiar to local law enforcement, with deputies identifying him as a suspect in "many" burglaries and vehicle thefts in the area, according to an incident report obtained by Fox News Digital.

Authorities allege that 17-year-old Cordarius Hobbs fatally shot Billy Blair, 74, and his wife, Virginia Carol Blair, 71, after breaking into their Mendenhall, Mississippi, home on June 3. During a preliminary hearing in July, family members testified that Hobbs had previously worked for the Blairs, performing tasks such as cleaning around their property before the alleged killings.

An incident report from the Simpson County Sheriff's Department, obtained by Fox News Digital, described Hobbs as a "troubled juvenile" and said investigators believed he was connected to several other crimes in the community.

"...When we first arrived I and other Deputies and Investigators believe the suspect could be a troubled juvenile known to us as Cordarius Hobbs who is also suspected of many other home burglaries as well as auto theft in this immediate area," the report states.

Hobbs' grandfather, Billy Newsome, said he believes his grandson had been called to the Blair home for work that day and maintains that he is innocent.

"My grandson used to work for the man, why you gone rob a man that you work for," Newsome said. "Why you gone stay there that long and you know the police out there, and then you gone wait until everybody gets there to run, it just ain’t adding up, something just ain’t right here."

According to testimony from a Mississippi Bureau of Investigation investigator, three contractors arrived at the Blair residence on June 3 to install a generator and noticed a vehicle with its door open and multiple firearms stacked on the seats. After calling the Simpson County Sheriff's Department to request a welfare check around 11:30 a.m., deputies arrived shortly before noon and were met with gunfire, triggering a standoff that lasted nearly two hours. Investigators said Hobbs was apprehended while attempting to flee and was unarmed when he was taken into custody.

The investigator testified that Carol Blair was found in a bedroom, curled in the fetal position with three gunshot wounds to the back of her head. Billy Blair was discovered in the kitchen, lying on his back with three gunshot wounds to the face.

Hobbs' attorney, Zachary Vaughn, told Fox News Digital that his client has consistently been polite during their meetings.

"I have visited with my client several times in the short time I've known him and he has always been very respectful and courteous to me," Vaughn said.

Following a court hearing, Vaughn argued that prosecutors have not presented direct forensic evidence tying Hobbs to the killings.

"There was nothing to say he’s a principal, he’s the one that pulled the trigger on these things," Vaughn said. "One of the things alone was, one of the victims was shot twice on one side of the head and once on the other. I think that’s pretty compelling that somebody else may have been in there. There’s a lot of things that are possible, just a tremendous amount of things."

"When you have an officer say there’s no one that can identify him at the time of the shooting, I just don’t see how that adds up," he added.

Hobbs faces two counts of capital murder, one count of burglary and 10 additional charges. He has been denied bond.

In an earlier Facebook statement, members of the Blair family wrote, "We are crushed in spirit, bruised, and brokenhearted, but we are not alone."

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