JASPER COUNTY, Miss. – A Mississippi man with a lengthy criminal record is facing a manslaughter charge after authorities say he killed his 17-year-old nephew and left the teen’s body on the side of a road during an unauthorized trip out of state.
Victor “Jerry” Carver III, 37, was charged in connection with the death of Caden Cantrelle, who had been placed in Carver’s temporary care by the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services (DCS), according to law enforcement officials.
Carver had requested permission from DCS to supervise the teen, and approval was granted, but with the condition that they remain within Tennessee. Authorities say that condition was violated.
On Monday, when the agreed-upon visitation period ended and Cantrelle did not return, DCS contacted the teen’s father. Using a phone tracking device, the father discovered the last signal from Cantrelle’s phone came from Mississippi.
Jasper County Sheriff Randy Johnson was notified and began coordinating with authorities after the teen’s body was located by the roadside.
No further details have been released on the cause of death or how the teen ended up in Mississippi.
A teen’s out-of-state visit with his uncle ended in tragedy, with the boy’s body found and the man now facing a manslaughter charge.
