(RepublicanNews.org) – A 54-year-old man suspected of killing his mother and two sisters on Mothers’ Day has been killed in a shootout with police. Ivory James Welch III is alleged to have shot Ida Thomas Welch, 76, Crystal Lynn Welch, 42, and Vicky Renee Welch, 56, on May 12th before fleeing the area. The triple homicide took place in Ridgeland, Mississippi, and the bodies were discovered on the same day.
The suspect was seen leaving the scene of the crime in his vehicle and was tracked by police officers all the way to Dallas, Texas. An arrest warrant was issued for his arrest and a multi-agency manhunt was undertaken. By 7:30 am the following day, Arizona troopers found him on the highway near Morenci, a small town near the New Mexico border. As they tried to apprehend him, Welch opened fire. The officers returned fire and fatally wounded him. No officers were injured in the gunfight.
Police Chief for Ridgeland, Brian Myers, described the operation as an excellent example of using multi-agency teamwork and media reporting to quickly locate and apprehend a suspect. He said that the death of Welch brought “swift justice” for the victims’ loved ones. No motivation has so far been confirmed for the triple killing, although Chief Myers suggested that Welch may have had a grudge against his family. Myers explained that Welch is thought to have been upset over the matters of a family funeral and his birthday. His birthday fell on Friday, May 10th. He had no further details about the nature of the possible grudge or how it related to these events.
Myers told the press that the events would not only remain with the family of the victims and suspect but also with the officers who had dealt with the aftermath of the killing. One of the shooting victims, Crystal Lynn Welch, has been remembered by her colleagues at Mississippi ACLU as a “great friend” with “an infectious spirit”.
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