National News

Second suspect charged in mother's murder

The boyfriend of the mother discovered dead next to a burning car in Desoto County has been charged with capital murder.

Posted Updated

By
Eryn Taylor
DESOTO COUNTY, MS — The boyfriend of the mother discovered dead next to a burning car in Desoto County has been charged with capital murder.

WREG reported Mario Stevenson filed a missing persons report for Lashanda Otis on the morning of May 2.

He said he hadn't seen her since around 1 p.m. May 1 when he left their place at the Bent Tree Apartments for work.

When he came home that evening around 11 p.m., Otis and his car were gone.

Twenty-one miles away in Mississippi, a passerby was traveling down Graves Road on May 1 when he spotted a Chevrolet Impala on fire.

When deputies arrived at the scene around 10:45 p.m., they found Otis several feet away with a gunshot wound to the head and burns.

She had three children and was reportedly two-months pregnant at the time of her death.

Several days after the murder, authorities arrested 24-year-old Demario Dansberry.

He was charged with murder.

Stevenson was taken into custody Thursday.

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