Elderly couple hired 17-year-old to do odd jobs at their home — before he robbed and brutally murdered them, cops say

A 17-year-old boy is on trial for allegedly shooting to death an elderly couple that had hired him to do odd jobs around their home in Mississippi.

Cordarius Hobbs was arrested by Simpson County Sheriff’s deputies after an hours-long standoff on June 3 when they were called to the residence near Mendenhall.

Less than a week after Hobbs was taken into custody to face charges for double murder, his two brothers were involved in a massive manhunt.

The incident unfolded after three contractors went to the home of 75-year-old Bill Blair and his 71-year-old wife, Carol Blair, to install a generator at about 10 a.m.

They said they noticed that the door to the wife’s car was left open and there were multiple guns on the seats, according to a Mississippi Bureau of Investigation investigator.

An hour and a half later, they called the Simpson County Sheriff’s Department for a welfare check on the Blairs.

A half hour later, at noon, deputies arrived and tried to push through a screen door to find gunshots being fired at them. That began a standoff between police and the alleged shooter, which lasted for about two hours.

Hobbs tried to flee from the home on foot, but police were able to capture him. They said he was wearing all black and holding a bag but did not have a weapon when captured. He was also shot during the incident, but his injuries were not life-threatening.

According to investigators, 280 bullet casings were found inside the home, as well as three guns, which all belonged to Bill Blair.

Inside the home they found Carol Blair in a fetal position in a bedroom with three gunshots to the back of her head. Bill Blair was found lying on his back in the kitchen with three gunshots to his face.

Hobbs was charged with two counts of capital murder along with a burglary count, four counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, four counts of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, and two counts of aggravated assault on individuals 65 or older.

The family of the victims said they had hired Hobbs to clean up around the home.

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The Blairs’ pastor told KPTV-TV they were the “sweetest couple” and one was rarely seen without the other nearby.

“They loved the Lord, and it was evident in their life. … You knew that they were just good people that would help anyone,” Pastor Andy Fullington said.

Less than a week after Hobbs was taken into custody to face charges for double murder, his two brothers were involved in a massive manhunt after an officer was shot during a traffic stop.

Cortavious Lawayne Hobbs, 18, and Cortavion Dewayne Hobbs, 19, got into a shoot-out with police and were later found hiding underneath a house, prosecutors said.

Covington County Deputy Yates Rodney, who was critically wounded, is still undergoing treatment for his injuries.

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