Uncle Arrested After Body of Missing Teen Found in Jasper County
JASPER COUNTY, MS – The body of a missing Tennessee teenager was discovered Monday in rural Jasper County, leading to the arrest of the teen’s uncle on a charge of manslaughter.
Authorities say the investigation began after Tennessee Child Protective Services notified the Jasper County Sheriff’s Department about a juvenile believed to be traveling through Mississippi en route to Louisiana. The teen, identified as 17-year-old Caden Cantrelle, had been in the temporary custody of his uncle, Victor Jerome “Jerry” Carver III, 37, of Collinwood, Tennessee. Carver had been granted a two-day pass with the teen but was not authorized to leave the state.
Officials say Carver returned to Tennessee without Cantrelle. A cellphone ping helped investigators narrow their search to the area near mile marker 118 on I-59. Deputies later discovered the teen’s body on County Road 39.
The cause of death has not yet been released. Sheriff Randy Johnson stated that additional or upgraded charges may be filed pending further investigation and autopsy results.
Carver was arrested Monday in the Woodlawn community of Wayne County, Tennessee, and is being held on a fugitive warrant stemming from the manslaughter charge filed in Jasper County.
