GULFPORT, Miss. – A 66-year-old woman from Mississippi has been arrested and charged with first-degree murder after her son’s body was found hidden in a container behind a false wall. Jerri Lynn Isreal was taken into custody after a weeks-long investigation, which began when authorities received reports of a possible missing person on Dec. 22.
During the investigation, detectives discovered discrepancies in Isreal’s statements, leading to her becoming uncooperative and changing her statements multiple times. It was also revealed that Isreal had previously been arrested and convicted of murder in Florida in 1995, where she had attempted to dispose of the body at different locations.
Following this information, investigators obtained a search warrant for Isreal’s residence. During the search, they found a “military locker-style container” hidden behind a false wall, containing the body of 42-year-old John Allen Gaither, Isreal’s son. Isreal was subsequently taken to the hospital after ingesting an unsafe amount of pills.
Isreal has been processed and transported to the Harrison County Adult Detention Center, where she will be held in lieu of bond. The details surrounding the case are still emerging, as authorities continue to investigate the circumstances leading up to Gaither’s tragic death and the events that followed.