JACKSON, Miss. – A Mississippi officer has been arrested in a woman’s death. Matthew Kinne of the Oxford Police Department has been taken into custody in the Sunday death of a woman authorities say he may have been romantically involved with.
Interim Chief Jeff McCutchen told media Tuesday that early in the investigation it was discovered that Kinne, who has served with the department for 4 years, was in a relationship with the victim, Dominique Lashelle Clayton, reported WDAM.
Moreover, McCuthchen assured the community that Kinne would not be shown any favoritism because he was a cop.
“We know that you’re hurting, and we assure you: We will not hide behind the badge,” McCutchen said. “This badge stands for truth and justice, and today it’s about justice for Dominique.”
Police responded to Suncrest Drive around 2 p.m. Sunday after Clayton’s 8-year-old son found her dead. While police wouldn’t reveal how she died, family said she was shot in the back of the head in her bedroom while sleeping, according to the report.
Reggie Clayton, a family member of Dominique’s, said that both MBI and Oxford police have been working hard to get the family answers. He said he understands there may not be a lot of facts at first.
“They’ve been working to get this solved, taken care of. They’re not releasing a lot right now because it’s so early in the case and it’s such a high profile case,” he said. “They’re crossing all their T’s and dotting all their I’s.”
Oxford police contacted MBI to investigate and on Monday night Kinne was arrested. While they have assumed the investigation, they have also remained tight lipped, reported Clarion Ledger.
“Due to the fact that we are early on in this investigation, we will refrain from making any comments or statements that could jeopardize the integrity of the case,” MBI spokesman Captain Jonny Poulos said at the end of the news conference.
Kinne’s Facebook page shows a wife and several children, and that he was a member of the Oxford Mounted Unit.