JACKSON, Miss. — On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court opted not to review the case of Willie Cory Godbolt, a Mississippi death row inmate convicted for the 2017 murders of eight individuals, including his mother-in-law and a deputy sheriff.
Earlier in August, Godbolt filed a handwritten petition requesting that the nation’s highest court reconsider a decision made by the Mississippi Supreme Court, which upheld his convictions and death sentences. In his appeal, Godbolt argued that his defense was ineffective and that the search conducted was illegal, among other legal missteps. However, the U.S. Supreme Court, which typically does not disclose its reasoning, declined to provide an explanation for rejecting Godbolt’s appeal.
The tragic events unfolded on the night of May 27, 2017, when Godbolt visited his in-laws’ residence and engaged in an argument with his estranged wife concerning their children. As tensions escalated, the family sought assistance from local authorities. A Lincoln County deputy sheriff responding to the situation was fatally shot, along with Godbolt’s mother-in-law and two others at the scene.
As the night turned into the early hours of the following day, the violence continued with the deaths of an 18-year-old and an 11-year-old at a second location, followed by the murder of a married couple at a third house. In February 2020, Godbolt was found guilty on multiple charges, including four counts of capital murder, four counts of murder, two counts of kidnapping, one count of attempted murder, and one count of armed robbery.
The jury sentenced Godbolt to death for each count of capital murder and imposed six life sentences plus two 20-year terms for the remaining convictions. Godbolt, who is now 42 years old, remains on death row at the Mississippi State Penitentiary in Parchman.
In March 2024, the Mississippi Supreme Court reaffirmed Godbolt’s convictions and the subsequent death sentences. The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to decline reviewing the case leaves the previous rulings standing, upholding the severe consequences of the tragic events that darkened that fateful night in 2017.