Man charged with murder

By Rupert Howell
A local man is being charged with murder in the Saturday night death of Ebony Garcia on Fogg Road, in what investigators are calling a domestic dispute
Craig Harris turned himself in late Sunday afternoon according to Panola County Sheriff Department Investigator Edward Dickson who said 15 to 20 officers searched for the suspect earlier in the day along with their canine unit.
Fogg Road is located just east of I-55 off of Eureka Road just south of the Pauline Smith Place as many older residents know it.
Dickson said he got the call out at 11:30 Saturday night and acknowledged that Garcia was pronounced dead at the 135 Fogg Road scene. The investigator said she was there visiting a friend. Harris’ address is listed as 121 Fogg Road.
Although law enforcement knew the suspect, they waited until daylight Sunday to conduct a search using the Sheriff Department’s canine for tracking.
“We deployed the canine but the scent dropped off. We would find it, then lose it,” Dickson said, explaining the suspect knew the wooded area much better than law enforcement and, “. . .he could lose us anytime he got ready.”
Dickson said law officials established a “great rapport” with the family, explaining that after committing such as heinous crime, a suspect can only see the lights, guns of a tactical unit and often is scared to come out of hiding or talk, fearing the worst.
The search was called off after talking with those family members and Harris’ kin did what they said they would do.
“They helped bring him in. He came to the jail about 7:30 and turned himself in,” Dickson said.
Although the investigator said his agency has enough to charge Harris with capital murder, Garcia’s body was sent to Jackson for an autopsy. Harris is being held in the Panola County Jail with his first appearance scheduled for today in Sardis.