A woman in the Alpine community of northeast Union County to be charged in Monday shooting death

Union County Sheriff Jimmy Edwards said deputies were dispatched to 1689 County Road 171 in the Alpine community at 9:15 a.m. Monday, March 7.

The officers were responding to a 911 call informing them that “someone had been shot” at that address. Upon arrival sheriff’s officers found Nathan Knight lying in the yard, dead of a single gunshot wound to his chest.

April Nickole Rodgers was at the scene. Officers took Rodgers into custody and took possession of a 9 mm semi-automatic pistol. They believe Rodgers use the handgun to shoot Knight.

The sheriff said Rodgers and her female child, less than two years old, were the only people present when officers arrived.

Gary Ward

Joseph Williams

Investigators determined that two adult males had been present when Knight was shot, but that they had fled the scene. The sheriff said the two were Gary Ward, age 35, a Saltillo resident, and Joseph Williams, age 37, a Booneville resident. Later Monday, Ward and Williams were taken into custody with help from the Lee and Itawamba County sheriff’s offices and the Mississippi Highway Patrol. Ward is shown in the left photograph and Williams in on the right.

Sheriff Edwards said he expects Rodgers will be arraigned before a circuit judge and will be charged with murder. He said he believes Rodgers will also be charged with felony child endangerment, felon in possession of a firearm and possession of illegal drugs with intent to sell.

The sheriff said officers were told by both Rodgers and Ward that Nathan Knight, the shooting victim, had brought pancakes for the little girl when he came to the house Monday morning.

Union Co. Sheriff Jimmy Edwards

Edwards said Rodgers, over several years, had been arrested “40 times by the Lee County Sheriff” on charges ranging from armed robbery to bringing contraband (drugs) into the Lee County jail. She has also had arrests in Itawamba and Prentiss counties.

The Sheriff said there was no electricity on at the house where the shooting occurred. Power was being supplied by an extension cord run to a nearby house.

Edwards said he will ask District Attorney Ben Creekmore to have Rodgers held without bond and that she be charged as an habitual criminal.

Although they are believed to have been present when Knight was shot, charges directly related to the shooting are not at this time expected against Ward and Williams.

Ward is being held in the Union County jail on a detain order from the Mississippi Department of Corrections, seeking him for an unrelated felony.

Williams is being held for possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

(LINK TO PRIOR STORY)