Woman Sentenced to 30 Years in Prentiss County Attempted Murder, Assault Cases

IUKA, MS (BuzzReport) — A Prentiss County woman will serve decades in prison after pleading guilty to violent charges stemming from two separate incidents, according to prosecutors in Mississippi’s First Circuit Court District.

District Attorney Jason D. Herring announced that Veronica Gillespie entered guilty pleas on April 8, 2026, to one count of attempted murder and one count of aggravated assault in cases that occurred in 2022 and 2023.

The attempted murder charge is tied to an Aug. 26, 2023, incident in Prentiss County. The aggravated assault charge stems from a separate घटना on Nov. 8, 2022, also within the county.

Following the plea agreement, Kelly Mims, a Circuit Court judge, sentenced Gillespie to 40 years in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections for the attempted murder conviction. Of that sentence, 10 years were suspended, leaving Gillespie to serve 30 years in prison.

In the aggravated assault case, Gillespie received a 20-year sentence. However, that sentence was fully suspended. Prosecutors stated that the aggravated assault sentence will run consecutive to the attempted murder sentence, meaning it will follow the primary prison term if the suspension is ever revoked.

Officials noted that the resolution of both cases brings closure to two separate acts of violence that occurred within the community over the span of nearly a year.

The district attorney’s office credited Karl Courtney, a detective with the Booneville Police Department, for his investigative work in the cases.

Assistant District Attorneys Joel Baldwin and Reagan Wise prosecuted the cases on behalf of the state.

Authorities have not released additional details about the circumstances surrounding either incident.