estranged husband sentenced to
life in fatal jackson leasing office shooting
May 27, 2026
(Jackson, MS) Hinds County District Attorney Jody E. Owens, II, announced that 54-year-old Ron Allen pleaded guilty to Murder in the shooting death of his estranged wife, 25-year-old Maleah Bess.
On July 31, 2025, officers with the Jackson Police Department responded to Westwood Apartments in reference to a shooting inside the leasing office. Upon arrival, officers encountered witnesses who stated that a black male had entered the leasing office moments before gunshots were heard coming from inside the office, where Bess worked as the property manager.
Investigators learned that Allen and Bess had been married for less than a year and were estranged at the time of the shooting. Detectives determined that Allen went to the apartment complex shortly before noon and entered the leasing office during an ongoing separation between the two. One witness stated that he heard a gunshot and opened the office door, where he saw Bess holding her side after being shot. The witness immediately shut the door and heard several additional gunshots fired inside the office. Witnesses told investigators that they attempted to call Bess’s cellphone to check on her welfare. Allen answered the phone and admitted that he had killed her.
When detectives arrived on the scene, Allen had barricaded himself inside the leasing office and refused to surrender. SWAT officers responded and established a perimeter around the building. After two to three hours, Allen exited the office and surrendered to law enforcement, covered in blood. Officers then entered the leasing office and found Bess deceased, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.
Allen pleaded guilty to Murder and was sentenced to life in prison to be served in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections.
“This was a deeply disturbing act of domestic violence that ended with a young woman losing her life in her workplace,” said District Attorney Owens. “After the shooting, the defendant barricaded himself inside the office for hours while law enforcement worked to secure the apartment complex and the surrounding area. This guilty plea and life sentence ensure accountability for a brutal and senseless killing.”
Husband accused of killing wife at Jackson apartment complex denied bond
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JODY E. OWENS, II
