Murder charges filed against Kosciusko resident Chris Meredith, 31, in relation to the death of Davion "Pete" Rimmer, 41, also of Kosciusko, were downgraded to manslaughter when Meredith appeared in Kosciusko Municipal Court Tuesday.
The KPD filed murder charges against Meredith on Sunday after Rimmer died following a fight between the two men in the parking lot of the North Natchez Apartments around 4 p.m. Sunday afternoon. Dew said the incident was not random since the two men had a relationship.
"There had been some words exchanged one time earlier (that day) before the fight," said the Chief. "Then there was a gap in time after which Chris (Meredith) returned to the complex and the two fought."
Meredith and several of his family members contacted police following the incident indicating that he planned to turn himself in, but when the KPD became aware of his whereabouts, Dew said officers went to a residence on West Adams Extension near the Hickory Hill trailer park and arrested him at 7:10 p.m. Sunday.
Judge L. Scott Pickle initially set a $100,000 bond on the murder charge and Meredith remained in custody in the Leake County jail until his Tuesday court appearance.
"The initial report we got was that Rimmer was hit with brass knuckles, but the autopsy did not reflect that," said Dew.
The Chief said preliminary results from an autopsy conducted Monday did not indicate trauma in Rimmer's death and that he likely died of a heart attack.
On Tuesday, Pickle endorsed reducing the charge to manslaughter and lowered the bond to $25,000. He did, however, deny Meredith’s new request to have a defense attorney appointed by the court and set Meredith’s next court appearance for April 16.
“You told me (before) that you could hire your own attorney, so I’m giving you until April 16 to do that,” Pickle told Meredith.
