Second-Degree Murder Plea Entered in Fatal
South Jackson Shooting of Marine Veteran
May 12, 2026
(Jackson, MS) – Hinds County District Attorney Jody E. Owens, II, announced today that 32-year-old Treylin Sojourner entered a guilty plea to Second-Degree Murder in connection with the shooting death of 55-year-old Marvin Houck, Jr. The plea was entered following jury selection in Hinds County Circuit Court.
On Wednesday, July 17, 2024, officers with the Jackson Police Department responded to Pine Tree Drive and Pine Ridge Drive regarding a reported shooting. Upon arrival, officers discovered Marvin Houck, Jr. lying in the roadway with a fatal gunshot wound to the head.
Investigators learned that two individuals walking their dog around 6:00 a.m. discovered Houck’s body and contacted authorities. Houck’s girlfriend told officers that he had left earlier that morning, walking with Treylin Sojourner. A friend of Houck later advised investigators that he had been walking with both Houck and Sojourner prior to the shooting. According to testimony, an altercation broke out between the two men before Sojourner struck Houck in the back of the head with a firearm, resulting in Houck being fatally shot.
Sojourner was sentenced to thirty-five years, with five years suspended, leaving thirty years to serve in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections, followed by five years of post-release supervision.
“Mr. Houck served this country honorably as a United States Marine and survived combat overseas, only to tragically lose his life here at home following a dispute that escalated into deadly violence,” said District Attorney Owens. “This case is a reminder of how quickly conflicts involving firearms can turn fatal, and our office will continue working to hold violent offenders accountable.”
Man sentenced to 30 years in fatal shooting of Marine veteran in South Jackson
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JODY E. OWENS, II
