Suspect beat parents to death with cinder block, police say

PASCAGOULA, Miss. (WLOX/Gray News) - A suspect in Mississippi was arrested after police said he beat his parents to death with a cinder block.

Police in Pascagoula said 39-year-old Darold Sim Payne was arrested after a four-hour standoff with law enforcement after he barricaded himself inside his home.

The Jackson County Coroner identified the victims as the suspect’s father and mother, 86-year-old Harold Payne and 72-year-old Jittuan Payne.

The coroner confirmed the couple both died of blunt force trauma.

Wednesday afternoon, officers responded to the home in response to a report of a fight in the front yard.

When officers arrived on the scene, they saw a man, later identified as Darold Payne, run into the house and barricade himself.

Officers from multiple agencies worked to contain the scene.

After attempts to negotiate with Payne, officers deployed tear gas into the home, which eventually caused him to surrender. He was then taken into custody.

Officials later confirmed two people, identified as Payne’s parents, dead outside of the home.

Pascagoula Police Chief Terry Scott said the parents and son lived together in the house. He doesn’t believe anyone else lived there.

Chief Scott praised the work of his team, along with the other law enforcement agencies that responded.

“We did everything we could to protect his life and get him into custody without hurting any officers or anyone else,” Scott said.

The double homicide case is being handled by the Pascagoula Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division.

The victims' autopsies will take place Friday.

Copyright 2025 WLOX via Gray Local Media, Inc. All rights reserved.