John Allen Gaither Obituary – A murder charge has been filed against a woman in Mississippi after her son’s body was found concealed behind a “false wall.” The Gulfport Police Department announced on Facebook that Jerri Lynn Roby, 66, also known as Isreal, was taken into custody on Saturday and charged with first-degree murder. The police discovered the body of John Allen Gaither, 42, inside a hidden “wooden box” behind the false wall in Roby’s Gulfport residence. Multiple homemade wooden boxes were also found in her home and garage.
The investigation began on December 22, 2023, when officers responded to a welfare concern related to a potential missing person. Roby’s last contact with Gaither was on December 10. On December 27, after conducting follow-ups, the police noticed inconsistencies in Roby’s statements and her level of cooperation decreased over time. It was also revealed that Roby had a prior murder conviction in Florida in 1995 and had attempted to dispose of the deceased individual at various locations in the state. Detectives obtained a search warrant for Roby’s home on January 18, leading to the discovery of Gaither’s body. Roby had tried to conceal the crime by writing notes to family members, pretending to be her son. After being released from the hospital, Roby was processed and transported to Harrison County.