Neshoba County Man Found Guilty of Second-Degree Murder

Jackson, MS - On September 10, 2005, following a three-day jury trial, a Neshoba County man was found guilty of second degree murder and using a firearm in the commission of the murder. Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick A. Lemon and Special Agent in Charge Robert Eikhoff of Federal Bureau of Investigation's Jackson Office made the announcement.

According to court documents, Brian Keith Bell, 56, of the Pearl River Community of the Choctaw Indian Reservation used a handgun to shoot and kill another tribal member.

In April of 2024, a federal grand jury indicted Bell on the charges of Murder in the Second Degree and the Use of a Firearm in a Crime of Violence.

Honorable Daniel P. Jordan, III., United States District Judge, presided over the trial and scheduled Bell's sentencing for November 14, 2025. Bell faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. He is currently being held in federal custody.

Acting United States Attorney Lemon commended the work of the Choctaw Police Department of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians and the Federal Bureau of Investigation who investigated the case.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin J. Payne and Brian K. Burns.