After one day of deliberation by a jury, the former candidate for Forrest County Circuit Clerk who is accused of killing a man in a hit-and-run incident last year has been found guilty of that crime and sentenced to life in prison.
On August 13, 12th Circuit Judge Bob Helfrich handed down that sentence to 28-year-old Hattiesburg resident David Allen Breland, who is charged with first-degree murder and leaving the scene of an accident causing serious injury or disfigurement. Breland is accused of striking with his vehicle 30-year-old Tyra Canady, who later died at Forrest General Hospital after being taken there to be treated for his injuries.
Canady was found at approximately 6:45 a.m. April 29, 2023, when officers from the Hattiesburg Police Department responded to a report of a pedestrian that was struck by an unknown vehicle near the intersection of South 17th Avenue and Camp Street in Hattiesburg.
When officers arrived, they found Canady suffering from injuries on the side of the roadway. He was transported to the hospital by AAA.
During the investigation, officers determined that Breland hit the victim at 10 p.m. April 28, meaning Canady had been left on the side of the road for almost nine hours.
Breland was booked into the Forrest County Correctional Facility, where he was charged with leaving the scene. Shortly afterwards, the murder charge was added.
Breland later was released from jail on a total bond of $200,000 for the two charges. He would have been required to pay 10 percent of that amount – or $20,000 – to be released from jail.
At the August 13 court date, Breland’s attorneys stated that neither Breland nor his car was involved in the hit-and-run. However, police officers testified that upon making contact with Breland after the incident, they discovered a damaged car at his home that fit the description of the vehicle that was used in the crime.
In addition, prosecutors introduced to the jury a video from the night of the incident, which they said proves that Canady was hit intentionally and not by accident.
Breland was taken back into custody after Helfrich’s sentence.
Despite his first arrest, Breland was still featured as a Democratic candidate on the ballot for last year’s elections, during which he faced Republican incumbent Gwen Wilks for the circuit clerk position. According to results from the November 7 general election, Breland received 6,229 votes, while Wilks garnered 9,318 votes.
