The Panola County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a homicide of a man found dead in the middle of West Pearl Ext. in Sardis Monday evening.

Sheriff Shane Phelps said an emergency call was received about 8:20 p.m. reporting shots fired in the area between the county maintenance shop on Hwy. 51 and Greenhill School. A deputy was less than a mile from the scene and found the deceased on arrival shortly after the call was received.

Scottie Marvell Johnson, 19, was pronounced dead at the scene. His body will be sent to the State Medical Examiner’s office in Jackson for autopsy. Reports say he died from multiple gunshot wounds.

The Sheriff’s Office is investigating the crime because the deceased was found outside the corporate limits of the Town of Sardis, about 20 feet from the legal boundary line. Otherwise, the Sardis Police Dept. would have been the lead investigative agency.

Johnson, who had a listed address of 318 Hernando St., in Sardis in the booking log at the county jail, was under indictment on a 2023 armed robbery charge and was due in Circuit Court next week.

Phelps said anyone with information about the case should contact Crimestoppers  or the Sheriff’s Office at 662-563-6230.