Photo courtesy of MSU Athletics
The body of a former Mississippi State football player was pulled from a lake in Lee County on Monday.
Lee County Coroner Carolyn Green has now confirmed the identity of the man as 27-year-old Philemon ‘P.J.’ Jones, who was recently reported missing. According to the Tupelo Police Department, Jones’ family had not heard from him since January 20th.
Green said that the state crime lab confirmed Jones’ identity through the use of fingerprint analysis.
Jones’ body was pulled from a lake in the Indian Hills subdivision on Monday. Lee County Sheriff Jim Johnson reportedly stated that foul play is not suspected at this time, but Green says it has not been ruled out.
Officials are awaiting the results of an autopsy to determine a cause of death.
Jones played at Mississippi State from 2011-2014, starting 27 games as a defensive lineman and tallying 81 total tackles throughout his career.
