BOLIVAR COUNTY, Mississippi — More than two decades after she disappeared from an apartment complex in Bolivar County, the remains of Stacy Hazelton have not been found despite the conviction of the man accused of killing her, investigators said.
Hazelton, 21, was last seen May 21, 2004, at the Alligator Place Apartments, investigators said. She was described as a white female with brown hair and brown eyes, about 5 feet 1 inch tall and weighing roughly 150 pounds at the time of her disappearance. Hazelton had moved to Mississippi earlier that year with her boyfriend, James Fannings Jr., but stayed in contact with family members in Pennsylvania.
Authorities said the couple lived with Fannings’ longtime friend, Chevaun Mack, and soon faced financial difficulties. Hazelton told family she wanted to return home and asked her parents to send money, which they did, but she never returned. Her parents reported her missing in December 2004 after months without contact, investigators said.
Fannings was arrested in January 2006 and later went to trial. Prosecutors relied heavily on testimony from Mack, who told investigators he witnessed Fannings shoot Hazelton in the head during an argument and that the men placed her remains in a barrel, transported it in Hazelton’s Chevrolet Blazer, attempted to burn the body and then buried remains near a creek in Duncan, Mississippi, authorities said. A jury found Fannings guilty; he was sentenced to life in prison and an appeal in 2008 upheld the conviction.
Hazelton’s remains have never been recovered. Authorities urge anyone with information to contact the Pennsylvania State Police at (717) 299-7650, referencing case number J01-1049751, or the Bolivar County Sheriff’s Department at (662) 843-5378. This is a developing story and will be updated as more details emerge.
