PRESS RELEASE
OFFICE OF THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY
TENTH CIRCUIT COURT DISTRICT
CLARKE, KEMPER, LAUDERDALE, & WAYNE COUNTIES
KASSIE COLEMAN
DISTRICT ATTORNEY
District Attorney Kassie Coleman announced the guilty plea and sentencing of a Braxton Jacolbee Willie, 32,
today for causing the death of Ms. Janan Rush. Circuit Court Judge Robert Bailey sentenced Braxton Jacolbee
Willie to serve thirteen (13) years in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections today in the
Circuit Court of Kemper County, Mississippi after he entered a guilty plea to the charge of Aggravated DUI
Causing Death.
On September 4, 2020, Ms. Rush was on her way to work at East Mississippi Community College
(EMCC)–Golden Triangle Campus where she worked as an instructor and the Program Director of the Surgical
Technology Program when Willie struck her vehicle in a head-on collision. The evidence showed that Willie
drove his black Jeep Wrangler across the center line of Highway 39 into the northbound lane and struck Ms.
Rush’s white Chevrolet Monte Carlo. Ms. Rush died as a result of injuries sustained in the crash. Toxicology
reports showed that Willie’s Blood Alcohol Concentration was .20, more than two times the illegal (.08) limit,
and that he also had THC in his blood. An eyewitness who had also been traveling on Highway 39 that morning
reported that Willie had been driving dangerously prior to the crash when he killed Ms. Rush.
“Ms. Rush’s death was a terrible loss for our community. She was a beloved mother, daughter, sister, friend,
and instructor who has been recognized for her dedicated work in training others to pursue a career she loved in
surgical technology. Today’s sentencing should serve as notice for those who choose to drive while impaired.
Those offenders’ actions endanger everyone who travels on our roadways and such actions will not be tolerated.
I appreciate Ms. Rush’s family who has remained patient as we pursued this conviction.” said District Attorney
Kassie Coleman.
Willie was indicted by a Kemper County Grand Jury in March 2022. He pled today after a jury was convened to
start his trial. The Mississippi Highway Patrol investigated the crash. The case was prosecuted by Assistant
District Attorneys Cory Griffin and Erich Jerscheid.
The victim’s family said Ms. Rush was a dedicated mother who loved her family deeply. “Since her childhood,
Janan always knew she wanted to do something in the medical field. She was very excited and honored to be
selected as director of the program at EMCC so she could help students become great surgical technologists.”
said EMCC Vice President of Instruction Dr. James Rush, who is Janan Rush’s brother.
