Guilty Plea Entered in Domestic Violence Murder
June 9th, 2025
(Jackson, MS) Hinds County District Attorney Jody E. Owens, II, announced that Isaiah McCray, 28, has pleaded guilty to Second Degree Murder in the shooting death of 25-year-old TeKayla Cornelius, who was killed during a domestic dispute in May 2023.
On May 21, 2023, officers with the Jackson Police Department responded to reports of a shooting near Wabash and Ohio Street, where they found Cornelius suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Despite emergency efforts, she was pronounced dead at the scene. A short time later, it was determined that the defendant, McCray, had also sustained a self-inflicted gunshot wound and was taken into custody and transported for medical treatment. Investigators determined that the fatal shooting followed a domestic argument that escalated to deadly violence.
McCray entered a guilty plea to Second Degree Murder and will be serving 27 years in prison and 5 years of post-release supervision under the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections.
“What happened to Tekayla is heartbreaking, and it is all too common. This case is a devastating reminder of how quickly domestic violence can escalate,” said District Attorney Jody E. Owens, II. “Our office will continue to fight for survivors and ensure justice is delivered when violence steals someone’s future.”
JPD: Man released from hospital, charged with murder after deadly domestic dispute
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JODY E. OWENS, II
