Troy Anthony Eaton indicted on 2nd degree murder charge
Troy Anthony Eaton was indicted on 2nd degree murder and aggravated assault charges by the Tippah County Grand Jury during the Oct. 17 session.
Eaton is charged with the killing of off duty state trooper Josh Smith and assault of Ricky Vick in September of 2018.
Eaton was originally charged with capital murder and attempted murder and given a bond amount of $200,000 on the murder charge and $100,000 on the attempted murder charge.
In April of 2019, he was indicted on 1st degree murder and attempted murder.
An indictment is not an indicator of guilt, but indicates that there are sufficient grounds for a trial.
According to Mississippi law:
Every person who shall be convicted of second-degree murder shall be imprisoned for life in the custody of the Department of Corrections if the punishment is so fixed by the jury in its verdict after a separate sentencing proceeding. If the jury fails to agree on fixing the penalty at imprisonment for life, the court shall fix the penalty at not less than twenty (20) nor more than forty (40) years in the custody of the Department of Corrections.
