The Gazebo Gazette
GULFPORT (GG) — On Friday, March 21, 2025, John William Anderson from Gulfport, Miss. was convicted yesterday by a Harrison County jury of first degree murder for the killing of Jeneation Lewis. The jury also convicted Anderson of being in possession of a weapon after having a felony conviction. Circuit Court Judge Steve Simpson presided over the trial and sentenced Anderson to the maximum penalty of life in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections for the murder and ten years for the weapon charge to run consecutive to each other for a total of life plus ten years.
The jury heard that on October 11, 2022, the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office was called to a gas station at the corner of Highway 53 and County Farm Road for a shooting. When deputies arrived, they located Lewis deceased in his car suffering from two gunshots to his head. Deputies located a shell casing very close to Lewis’ car and observed Lewis had a cell phone next to him in the car.
County deputies were able to examine Lewis’ phone and determined Lewis had agreed to meet someone saved in his phone as “Jhn” at the same gas station. Law enforcement was able to locate two witnesses, who were able to provide authorities with a description of the person they saw at Lewis’ car at the time of the shooting and a description of the vehicle the suspect left in that evening.
Intel analysts with the Sheriff’s Office were able to determine the phone number assigned to “Jhn” was registered to Anderson and that Anderson’s mother owned a vehicle similar to the one described by witnesses. Based upon that information, detectives created a photographic lineup of Anderson and 5 other individuals and presented it to one of the eyewitnesses who positively identified Anderson as the person she saw walking away from Lewis’ car after hearing gunshots.
Law enforcement then obtained an arrest warrant for Anderson, who was apprehended that same night. Deputies searched Anderson’s house and property and located clothing matching the description given by the witnesses. They also located a 9mm handgun on Anderson’s property that was hidden in the wheel well of an abandoned truck.
“A forensic analysist with the Mississippi Forensic Lab was able to confirm the casing found at the gas station and the projectiles removed from Lewis’ head during his autopsy were fired from the weapon located on Anderson’s property,” said Assistant District Attorney Matthew D. Burrell who prosecuted for the State along with Chris Daniel.
“This was a senseless, brutal killing that occurred at a busy location at 6 pm. The sentence handed down by the Court was appropriate given the case. We want to commend the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office in their thorough investigation into this homicide. We also want to thank the numerous family members who came to the trial in support of Jeneation and the case,” said W. Crosby Parker.
