Recent social media posts on one of two pages that appear to be associated with Thomas Burns, the man found dead in a freezer Tuesday at his Lamar County home, show he had at least some familiarity with one of the three suspects arrested in the ongoing investigation.
At 2:26 a.m. March 30, a photo of Samantha Simmons was posted on a public Facebook page associated with Burns. Simmons, 35, of Purvis, was charged with grand larceny over $25,000 after police found Burns’ body. Burns commented on the photograph, “That is my baby well (sic).”
Simmons did not reply to the Facebook post, and does not have any public photos of Burns on her own Facebook page. Burns’ last post was April 9, when he updated his cover photo with a photograph of himself.
Officials from the Lamar County Sheriff’s Department were notified of Burns’ body at about 1 p.m. Tuesday after receiving a call from a family member and neighbor in the 1200 block of Purvis-Oloh Road. Lamar County Sheriff Danny Rigel said the 54-year-old Burns had been reported missing by his family the previous day.
“They searched the house and there was no sign of him,” Rigel said. “So they went back (Tuesday) and found him in the freezer.”
Members of Hattiesburg Police Department assisted Lamar County officials with processing the scene.
Simmons, as well as three other Purvis residents, were arrested and charged in connection with the case. Andy Hartfield, 51; and Will Bryson, 23; were both charged with receiving stolen property, while James Allen Simmons, 59, was charged with two counts of grand larceny and a probation violation. Rigel said Samantha Simmons and James Simmons are cousins.
Samantha Simmons, James Simmons and Andy Hartfield were denied bond, while Will Bryson's bond was set at $10,000.
Burn’s body was sent Tuesday afternoon to the state crime lab in Jackson for an autopsy.
“We don’t have any idea what the cause of death is yet,” Rigel said. “We’ll know a lot more after the autopsy.”
Officials cannot yet release which stolen items are involved in the investigation, or what relation the items have to Burns or the suspects.
“We’re still doing inventory on all of it,” Rigel said. “Almost the entire house was taken, and vehicles.”
