Rankin County looking to solve a 1978 cold case

Press Release:
The Rankin County Sheriff’s Department is seeking info regarding a cold case.

On September 3, 1978, at 3:00 p.m. the Rankin County Sheriff’s Office received a call from an individual stating they located a deceased white female off a dirt road near the swinging bridge in Rankin County. The female was believed to be between 20-30 years of age, weighing between 115 and 140lbs, 5’3” to 5’6” with shoulder-length dark brown hair. The manner of death was a homicide. During the thorough investigation conducted in 1978, the female was never identified and was buried at a local cemetery in Pearl, MS as a Jane Doe. Investigators believed that the female was never reported as a missing person.

On April 27, 2022, Rankin County Coroner David Ruth submitted legal paperwork to have the body exhumed in hopes of identifying the body of Jane Doe. David Ruth was able to locate the human remains and submit samples of her DNA to Othram Labs in Texas for genetic genealogy. On February 12, 2023, Othram Labs identified the body of Jane Doe as Tonya Lea Wills Mullins from Potter, Texas. At the time of Mullins’s death, she was 22 years of age and had two children that were two and four-years-old at the time of her death. It is believed that she was currently living in the state of Mississippi during the time of her disappearance.

Anyone with information that leads to an arrest could be eligible for up to a $2,500 reward. If you have information to help in this case, please call Crime Stoppers at 601-355-TIPS (8477), submit a tip, by using your mobile device or computer by going to http://www.P3tips.com/116