By Tommy McGraw
Publisher
LIVINGSTON, Ala. — Authorities are intensifying their search for a 3-year-old Jackson, Miss. girl after her mother was found dead Thursday in a shallow body of water near Epes.
Shardee McGill, 32, and her daughter, Janae, were reported missing early Monday, Sept. 22 after leaving their northeast Jackson, Miss. home in a black 2017 Chevrolet Equinox. The vehicle was later found unoccupied in Epes, a small community in Sumter County just across the Mississippi line.
On Friday, Sept. 26, Interim Jackson Police Chief and Hinds County Sheriff Tyree Jones confirmed Shardee’s death in a press conference. He described the case as “suspicious” and said no cause of death has yet been determined.
“We’ve been investigating a missing persons case involving 32-year-old Shardee McGill and her 3-year-old daughter, Janae McGill,” Jones said. “They were reported missing early Monday morning … The vehicle was later recovered in Epes, Alabama, unoccupied.”
Jones said Alabama law enforcement officers detained Shardee’s husband, identified as Jonathan McGill, for questioning. He was later released and has not been named as a suspect. Jones added that Jonathan McGill was the person who initially reported his wife and daughter missing.
Question arose in the press conference as to why Alabama authorities questioned Johnathan McGill rather than Mississippi officials. Sheriff Sheriff Jones said that Johnathan was in Alabama when law officials made contact and questioned him, but did not give a reason why he was there.
Journalist then questioned if the couple were married or separated and where was their official residence. Jones said they were married and both residing in North Jackson. Jones reiterated that the husband reported the two missing, and he was not a suspect at this time.
“On Thursday morning at approximately 10 a.m., Shardee’s body was located in what we would consider a shallow body of water in Alabama as a result of a multi-agency search effort,” Jones said. “We have not been able to locate 3-year-old Janae McGill, and we do not know her current situation or condition. There is a huge concern regarding her safety and well-being.”
Jones told reporters the investigation remains in its early stages, with state and federal partners — including the FBI and the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation — working alongside local police in both states.
At this point, Jones said investigators have no confirmed suspects and no clear motive. He stressed that “all possibilities remain open” as evidence continues to be collected and examined.
Questions have arisen as to why an Amber Alert was not issued for Janae. Jones explained that under Mississippi guidelines, the case did not meet the criteria, since the child was last known to be with her mother, not abducted by a stranger or in a custodial kidnapping. Instead, authorities have pushed out alerts through news media, social media platforms, and the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, which has issued a “Missing and Endangered Child” alert.
Jones said that if evidence emerges suggesting foul play occurred in Jackson before Shardee’s body was taken to Alabama, the death investigation could shift back under the Jackson Police Department’s jurisdiction. For now, Alabama agencies are leading that portion of the case.
“Our prayers continue to go out to the victims, the family of the victims, and we ask the public to join us in prayer for the rapid and safe recovery of 3-year-old Janae McGill,” Jones said.
Law enforcement agencies are urging anyone with information about Janae’s whereabouts to contact the Jackson Police Department at 601-960-1234, Crime Stoppers at 601-355-TIPS (8477), the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office at 205-652-2841, or dial 911.
Efforts to reach Sumter County Sheriff Brian Harris were unsuccessful prior to this publication on Friday, Sept. 26.