Chris Hennis, District Attorney

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Mendenhall, MS
Chris Hennis, District Attorney

Chris Hennis serves as the District Attorney for Covington, Jasper, Simpson and Smith counties.

Hennis previously served as an Assistant District Attorney, where he handled violent crimes, crimes against children, property crimes and drug offenses.

09/09/2026

Today in the Simpson County courtroom, as jury selection was underway for trial, Sammy Byther changed his plea from not guilty to guilty, admitting guilt to one count of Gratification of Lust.
Byther, 47, was a teacher and coach at Mendenhall High School in October 2024 when charges were filed against him for engaging in an inappropriate relationship with a 15-year-old student.
I want to thank Simpson County Investigator Eric Still for the professional and thorough investigation he conducted. His attention to detail and dedication to this case allowed my office to successfully prosecute Byther. I also want to recognize Assistant District Attorney Stephanie Wood, who spent countless hours preparing this case for trial.
Circuit Judge Stan Sorey sentenced Byther to 15 years to serve in the Mississippi Department of Corrections—the maximum sentence allowed under the law. Byther will be required to serve every day of his sentence without the possibility of parole. He will also be required to register as a s*x offender for the rest of his life.
I also want to thank each and every person who showed up for jury duty this morning. Our system of justice cannot work without citizens willing to take time out of their busy schedules to perform one of the most important civic duties we have.
Finally, I want to recognize the true hero in this case: our victim. Her bravery and willingness to speak up, endure a criminal investigation, and put herself through the difficult process of preparing for trial made it possible for law enforcement and my office to hold Byther accountable and remove a predator from one of our schools.

For that, she is a hero.

08/29/2026

Our law enforcement agencies need the public’s help solving these violent crimes that are plaguing our communities. If you have any information please contact one of these agencies. If you are tired of the senseless violence in the community, the community must speak up!

08/05/2026

Today, in the Jasper County courtroom in Paulding, 65-year-old Richard Jordan of Jones County entered a guilty plea to one count of Child Exploitation. Jordan, who had initially requested a trial by jury, changed his plea to guilty after a jury had been selected and the State's first witness began testifying.
Jordan was apprehended during an undercover sting operation conducted by the Jasper County Sheriff's Department. He had contacted who he believed to be an underage male through a dating website. Jordan drove to Heidelberg to meet the "child" but was instead met by deputies with the Jasper County Sheriff's Department.
I want to commend Jasper County Sheriff Randy Johnson and his department for their outstanding work in getting this predator off the streets.
I also want to commend Jasper County Investigator Patrick Edwards for his excellent investigation. This case involved the use of digital evidence, an area in which he has received specialized training. Investigator Edwards said it best when he told me, "We conduct these investigations to get to the predators before they get to our children."
The prosecutor assigned to this case was Assistant District Attorney Stephanie Wood, who did an outstanding job preparing this complex case for trial.

05/25/2026

On this Memorial Day, I pray that we as a nation never forget the sacrifices that the men and women of our military make every day to provide the blanket of freedom that we sleep under!

05/21/2026

At the recent spring prosecutor’s conference hosted by the Mississippi Prosecutor’s Association and the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office, my office was honored to be selected for the 2025 Trial of the Year Award. The trial for which we were recognized was the successful prosecution of a human trafficking case in Jasper County. My office was the first district attorneys office in the state to take a person to trial under the recently enacted Mississippi Human Trafficking law and secure a conviction.
Although the case was tried to the jury by Assistant District Attorney Stephanie Breland Wood and myself, this honor reflects a group effort by my entire staff and the Jasper County Sheriff’s Department.

05/15/2026

Former Reservoir Police Officer Rodney Jernigan entered a plea of guilty to two counts of enticement of a child.
When law enforcement first learned of potential criminal conduct, Jernigan, a resident of Smith County, was employed as an officer with the Reservoir Police Department. After formal charges were filed Jernigan was arrested and bonded out of the Smith County jail. While out on bond, it was discovered that Jernigan had made contact with a minor child in another state through social media which resulted in a new charge of enticement of a child.
The cases were investigated by the Smith County Sheriff’s Department and the Attorney General’s Office and prosecuted by the Attorney General’s Office and the 13th Circuit Court District Attorney’s Office. Jernigan was sentenced to 40 years in prison and must serve 20 years day for day before he is eligible for parole. Jernigan will be required to register as a s*x offender for the rest of his life.
I want to thank our law enforcement agencies for their excellent investigative work in this case. This case is a great example of agencies working together to keep our children safe from predators.

04/25/2026

I want to congratulate Assistant District Attorney Stephanie Breland Wood as she assumes her role as President of the Mississippi Prosecutor’s Association. ADA Wood has previously served as Secretary/Treasurer and Vice President of the MPA before being elected President. ADA Wood has also served on various committees including legislative, curriculum and awards. My office is thankful to have such a dedicated professional in its ranks.

04/20/2026

I have had several people contact me after receiving this notice via text message. This is a scam. Courts do not do business by text message and Hinds County does not have toll roads. Please report it as spam and delete.

Address

100 Court Avenue, Suite 4
Mendenhall, MS
39114

Telephone

+16018471342

Website

http://chrishennisda13.com/

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