Unsolved and Unforgotten: The Death of Bruce O'Bryant Dear

Gunshots and the sound of a car crashing shattered the quiet early morning hours of Sunday, September 11, 2016, in Quitman, Mississippi. Dispatchers would receive a call at 12:23 in the morning from a residence on Highway 511. Moments later, officers arrived to a chaotic and tragic scene: a vehicle engulfed in flames, resting near a clay embankment across from an apartment complex.

Inside the burning vehicle was Bruce O'Bryant Dear -- a young man whose life ended far too soon in a violent, public act that remains partially unsolved today.

According to witnesses at the scene, Dear had been standing outside his vehicle when a dark-colored Pontiac GT pulled up. The car carried multiple suspects -- at least a driver and a shooter. When the car rolled up, they began shooting, and Dear got into his vehicle attempting to leave the area.

In a desperate attempt to escape, Dear sped away. The vehicle veered off the road and slammed into a clay embankment. The impact -- and the dry brush surrounding it -- likely triggered the blaze that consumed the car. Despite efforts from law enforcement and first responders, Dear could not be saved.

Investigators immediately suspected robbery as the motive. Thanks to witnesses, authorities quickly identified a suspect. Within a week, Kaeshawn Turner, 25, of Wayne County, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder. He appeared before Quitman Municipal Judge Potuk, who set bond at $50,000.

By October 2016, the charges were upgraded. The first-degree murder bond was increased to $125,000. An armed robbery charge was added and bond for that charge was set at $75,000. Finally, an aggravated assault charge with a $50,000 bond. The bonds totaled $250,000.

But then -- silence.

Despite an arrest, the case never went to trial. No conviction. No official resolution. And no justice.

Years have passed, but for Bruce Dear's family, time has not healed the wounds. The lack of closure weighs heavy.

Still, they have chosen to turn heartbreak into action. In Bruce's memory, the family has established a scholarship fund and launched an annual "Stop the Violence" rally to raise awareness and foster change in the community.

Their hope? That no other family will have to endure the heartbreak that they have been forced to endure.

The murder of Bruce O'Bryant Dear remains open, cold, and unsolved. If you have any information related to his murder, please contact the Quitman Police Department or the Clarke County Sheriff's Office. Your tip could help bring closure to a grieving family and finally deliver long-awaited justice.