Jerri Lynn Isreal, 66, was arrested after detectives found her son’s body behind a false wall in her home.
A 66-year-old woman was arrested and charged with first-degree murder after her son's body was found in her home, according to police.
In December 2023, officers of the Gulfport Police Department responded to a Mississippi home after receiving a report of a welfare concern regarding a missing person, police said.
Five days later, detectives conducted follow-ups and noticed discrepancies in statements provided by Jerri Lynn Isreal, 66. Police say Isreal became "increasingly uncooperative" and "changed her statements multiple times.”
Authorities learned Isreal was arrested and convicted of murder in Florida around 1995. Detectives discovered that Isreal did commit the murder and made multiple attempts to dump the body at different locations throughout the state, the Gulfport Police Department said. With the information, detectives obtained a search warrant for Isreal’s home.
On January 18, detectives and Crime Scene Technicians searched Isreal's home. The 66-year-old was transported to a local hospital for medical treatment at the time.
During the search, authorities found a wooden box containing a body, which was identified as Isreal’s son John Allen Gaither, behind a false wall, police said.
Isreal was transported to the Harrison County Adult Detention Center to be held in lieu of her bond.
