JACKSON — A Neshoba County man was convicted Wednesday of second-degree murder and using a firearm in the commission of the murder following a three-day jury trial, officials said.
Brian Keith Bell, 56, of the Pearl River Community on the Choctaw Indian Reservation, used a handgun to kill Devonte Bell, 24, of Philadelphia, according to court documents.
A federal grand jury indicted Brian Bell in April 2024 on charges of second-degree murder and using a firearm in a crime of violence.
U.S. District Judge Daniel P. Jordan III presided over the trial and scheduled Brian Bell’s sentencing for Nov. 14. He faces a maximum penalty of life in prison and is currently in federal custody.
Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick A. Lemon and FBI Jackson Special Agent in Charge Robert Eikhoff announced the conviction. Lemon praised the Choctaw Police Department and the FBI for their work on the case.
The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin J. Payne and Brian K. Burns.
