Authorities in Mississippi and Alabama are probing the deaths of a Jackson mother and her young daughter, who were discovered days after being reported missing.
The Jackson Police Department confirmed that Shardee McGill, 33, and her three-year-old daughter, Janae, were discovered dead in Epes, Alabama. On Thursday, search teams discovered McGill’s body in a shallow body of water. The following day, Hinds County Sheriff Tyree Jones revealed the discovery of Janae’s body nearby.
The mother and daughter were last seen alive on Sunday. Shardee’s husband, Johnathan McGill, 34, reported their disappearance on Monday morning. Shardee’s husband, 34-year-old Johnathan McGill, reported them missing on Monday morning. The family resided in northeast Jackson.
Authorities started a multi-agency search that included Jackson police, the FBI, the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, and Alabama’s State Bureau of Investigation. Authorities found the black Chevrolet Equinox they were driving in Epes, Alabama. The vehicle was unoccupied.
Johnathan McGill was held and questioned in Alabama, but he was eventually released. Interim Jackson Police Chief Tyree Jones noted that the inquiry is still ongoing. “We currently have no information about suspects or the cause of death. Jones stated that there is currently no evidence that would lead to an arrest.
Both deaths are being investigated as suspicious. The Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences is investigating the identities and causes of death.
The incident has shocked the Jackson community. Clients and coworkers remembered McGill, a fitness trainer, as a lively and compassionate person.
Authorities encourage anyone with information to call the Jackson Police Department at 601-960-1234 or Crime Stoppers at 601-355-TIPS (8477).