Family and friends gathered outside the Attala County Courthouse minutes Thursday morning, March 6, after Jeffrey Holman was convicted of armed robbery.

All of them expressing their disbelief and sadness.

Holman, 19, of McCool, was sentenced to 22 years in prison by Circuit Court Judge Joseph Loper after a jury found him guilty on Wednesday evening, March 5.

Holman and his co-defendant, George Dotson Jr., 26, of Weir, are serving time for the November robbery of the Ellis Country Store in McCool, where they took $358.

Learae Carter, store owner, and former Choctaw County Sheriff Mike Hutchinson both testified to Holman’s character before Loper handed down the sentence.

“I will go to my grave saying he wasn’t directly involved,” Carter, who knows Holman and his family said. “My feelings should count for something. I own the store.”

Hutchinson said he had known Holman since he was a youngster and had never known someone as meek and mild.

Both had testified during the trial.

Loper said he had never heard such a far-fetched tale as the one that Holman spun on the stand the day before.

“Armed robbery was never on my mind,” Holman said during his trial. “All I was trying to do was stop it.”

The night of the robbery, Holman said he went into the store to tell clerk Foster Glass it was about to be robbed.

He said Dotson, who was using drugs, found the gun in his car’s glove box and made him drive to the store.

Holman said Dotson, armed with his gun, entered the store, took the money from Foster and ran out.

Holman, after being told by Foster to leave, did so and ran into Dotson, who pulled the gun on him and forced him to give him a ride back to Weir.

Dotson asked to purchase his gun and he wouldn’t allow it, Holman said.

He said Dotson put about $160 on the seat of the car, got out of the vehicle and threatened to kill him and his family members if he “snitched” on him.

Holman then went to his girlfriend’s house and put the gun up, gambled the money away shooting craps with some friends and went to Hutchinson’s house and left a note asking for help.



DA’s case

The District Attorney’s office painted a different picture.

Glass testified that Holman entered the store and was about to purchase candy, when Dotson came in and robbed him at gunpoint.

Glass explained the surveillance tape to the jury showing the various camera angles.

The tape showed Holman at the counter and him moving out of the way once Dotson entered.

Glass said Dotson never took his eyes off of him during the robbery.

After the robbery, Glass said Holman tried to pay for the candy and he told him to go on and he waited for the Attala County Sheriff’s Department to arrive.



Dotson testifies

Dotson, who pleaded guilty to armed robbery under a plea agreement with the DA’s office and is now serving 18 years in prison, testified against Holman as part of his agreement.

Dotson said on the night of the robbery he told Holman that he needed to make some money and that Holman suggested said he knew a place where they could get money.

“I get 18 years if I tell the true story,” Dotson said.

Dotson said he and Holman drove to McCool where he was dropped off about 20 feet from the store.

He said Holman showed him where the gun was in the car and he got it.

After robbing the store, Dotson said he was picked back up where he was dropped off and he gave Holman around $165 and they headed back to Weir.

Dotson said he never threatened Holman or his family.



Law enforcement

Holman was asked to come to the Weir Police Station by Officer Hap Anderson the night of the robbery and talk with the ACSD.

Anderson said he was in disbelief that Holman could be involved and was very hurt and disappointed in him.

Blakely said he only talked with Holman at the Weir Police Station and that no written statement was taken that night.

The next day, Blakely went over Holman’s rights at the ACSD, just like he did the night before, and went through he process of taking a written statement.

Blakely said Holman opted for him to write the statement out and he asked Holman questions.

Blakely said Holman reviewed and signed the statement.

Anderson said the written statement differed from the verbal conversation taken a day earlier.

Holman was crying his eyes out with worry that Dotson was going to hurt his mama and his babies, Anderson said.

Anderson testified that Holman said he went to warn Glass about the robbery.

Anderson said he later retrieved the gun used in the robbery for the ACSD.

A jury comprised of one black male, three black women, three white women and five white men rendered the verdict in Holman’s case after an hour and half deliberation.

Holman was represented by Richard Carter III and Mike Howie and Ryan Berry represented the DA’s office.