A wanted man was shot and killed by Arizona state troopers, on Monday, days after he allegedly shot and killed his mother and sisters in a Mississippi home.
Ida Thomas Welch, 76; Vicky Renee Welch, 56; and Crystal Lynn Welch, 42 were found dead on Mother's Day, after a relative requested a wellness check. The women's bodies were located in Ridgeland - a city north of Jackson.
Ridgeland Police Chief Brian Myers alleges that Ida's son, Ivory James Welch III, went on the run, shortly after his female relatives were killed.
"An arrest warrant was obtained and the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force began searching for Welch," Myers said in a press release. "Arizona State Troopers attempted to apprehend Welch and he fired upon the troopers and was fatally wounded in the gunfight."
Crystal Welch was a prominent attorney in Mississippi, who served as the board president for the American Civil Liberties Union of Mississippi. She was also an instructor at the Mississippi College School of Law and helped lead the charge to alter the Mississippi state flag, so it no longer contained Confederate symbolism.
"I just cannot process today's news," Mississippi ACLU Director Jarvis Dortch said in a statement. "She was always asking what more she could do to support our team and our work. Our staff and board will forever be grateful for her commitment to equality and justice. Her passion for life, infectious spirit and enthusiasm will be missed."
