HERNANDO, Mississippi — Nearly 49 years after 17-year-old Jerry Armstrong disappeared after his high school prom, the DeSoto County community continues to seek answers in a case family members say may have ties to the Ku Klux Klan.
Armstrong was last seen Dec. 23, 1977, after attending a prom at the National Guard Armory in Hernando, according to investigators and family accounts. He borrowed his brother’s white, two-door 1973 Pontiac LeMans, described as having red and black racing stripes and Mississippi license plate DAY 485. After the prom he reportedly drove his girlfriend home and was never seen again; the car also disappeared and has not been recovered.
At the time of his disappearance, Armstrong was 5-foot-6 and weighed about 145 pounds, with black hair, brown eyes and a scar above his left eye. He was last seen wearing a dark green suit, a yellow shirt, a green tie and black shoes, investigators said.
Relatives and some local residents have long suggested the Ku Klux Klan may have been involved, and family members say they believe Armstrong may have been mistaken for his older brother. The family has criticized early investigative efforts and says they were recently told by an investigator that several important documents are missing from Armstrong’s file, complicating attempts to determine what happened.
The case remains open. Anyone with information is asked to contact the DeSoto County Sheriff’s Department at (662) 469-3029. We will provide more information as it becomes available.
