Tillman man arrested in connection with January 13 murder in Jasper

A Tillman man was arrested Aug. 8 in connection with a Jan. 13 homicide on Preschool Road outside Ridgeland, Jasper County Sheriff Donald Hipp said during a recent news conference.

Dillon Seagraves, 28, of Tillman, is charged with murder and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime. Seagraves was taken into custody on August 8 in connection with the murder of Ryan James Andrew Johnson, 24, who died at the scene.

Jasper County Deputy Police Chief Jeff Crosby previously stated the victim (Johnson) had a verbal altercation with a suspect on Preschool Road and the suspect and others left the area on ATVs. Johnson also left the area, possibly in a vehicle, although it is unknown if Johnson was chasing or pursuing a suspect who was driving an ATV at the time of the shooting, Crosby said.

Hipp said during the press conference that this was an isolated incident and there was no known connection to other murders in the county and that there was no ongoing threat to the community.

Hipp called the arrest a significant development in the ongoing investigation, which has required extensive criminal investigation efforts. He said investigators will continue to conduct interviews and execute search warrants throughout Jasper County.