Willie Cory Godbolt has pled ‘not guilty’ to all charges after being indicted last week for a 2017 killing spree in Lincoln County.
Godbolt entered the ‘not guilty’ plea in front of a Lincoln County Circuit Court after being charged with four counts of capital murder, four counts of first-degree murder, two counts of kidnapping, attempted murder and armed robbery. The charges stem from a deadly rampage in May of 2017. Godbolt is accused of killing eight people including family members and Lincoln County Deputy William Durr.
Despite pleading not-guilty, upon being captured, Godbolt was caught on video stating that his plan was “suicide by cop”.
The killing spree allegedly began after Godbolt demanded that his estranged wife give up their two children, and the Deputy was called to the scene. The wife and kids escaped before they were harmed.
Durr’s body was found on Lee Drive in Bogue Chitto at a home where Godbolt’s wife and kids were staying at the time. Also found at the scene were the bodies of 55-year-old Barbara Mitchell, 35-year-old Tocarra May & 53-year-old Brenda May. Mitchell was Godbolt’s mother-in-law, Toccar was Godbolt’s wife’s sister and Brenda was her aunt.
The second crime scene was in Brookhaven, and this was where the two youngest victims were killed. The bodies of Godbolt’s cousins, 11-year-old Austin Edwards and 18-year-old Jordan Blackwell, were found at a home on Coopertown Road.
The third crime scene was also located in Brookhaven where the bodies of husband and wife Ferral Burage, 45 and Sheila Burage, 46, were found at their home on East Lincoln Road. Sheila was another sister of Godbolt’s wife, and Ferral (brother-in-law) was a pastor.
An official trial date has not been set, and DA Dee Bates issued a brief statement after the charges were handed down.
“The Office of the District Attorney has been and will continue to work closely with all law enforcement agencies involved during the prosecution of this case. We ask that the public continue to respect the privacy of the families, of the victims and all of the individuals impacted by this incident,” Bates said.
Godbolt has been in jail awaiting the Grand Jury’s indictment.
