New Albany man pleads in Alcorn County murder case
CORINTH – A New Albany man avoided a possible life sentence by pleading guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter for his part in the May 2022 death of a man found outside Corinth.
Courtland Alexander Bradley, 27, of New Albany, was charged with first-degree murder in connection with the death of Quantavis T. Fernando, 22, of Horton Street, Corinth. Bradley pleaded guilty Oct. 31 to the lesser charge of manslaughter and was sentenced to 20 years in prison by Circuit Judge Paul Funderburk. He was also sentenced to serve five years in prison and five years of post-release supervision for a separate charge of possession of a firearm by a felon.
In exchange for the lesser charge, Bradley agreed to testify against his co-defendant, Lamon Derell West Jr., 31, of Corinth.
A motorist discovered Fernando's body on County Road 182 in the Hopewell community, east of Corinth near the Tishomingo County line. The motorist called the Alcorn County Sheriff's Office around 4:15 a.m. on Sunday, May 1, 2022.
Responding deputies and investigators discovered a Black male with a gunshot wound dead in the roadway. Authorities believe the crime happened between 1 a.m. and 4 a.m. that same day.
Bradley was arrested the following afternoon on unrelated charges and held in the Union County Jail. The search of a 2013 black Volkswagen Jetta believed to have been used in the killing revealed more evidence and led to Bradley being charged with first-degree murder.
Three days after Bradley's arrest, authorities conducted a search at West's residence on Horton Street in south Corinth and arrested West, charging him with murder. West lived on the same street as the victim.
In the days between the two murder arrests, authorities charged Bradley's mother and girlfriend — Kimberly L. Bradley, 54, of New Albany; and Keayrah C. Edmontson, 21, of Corinth — with accessory after the fact to murder. The mother had multiple felony convictions for bad checks and attempted arson in Lee, Union and Marshall counties dating back to 2007. Edmonston had no felony convictions on her record.
Both women pleaded guilty in February and the court deferred their sentencing. Prosecutors often use deferment to ensure defendants return to court to testify against co-defendants.
West is still charged with murder and possession of a firearm by a felon in the death of Fernando. West has been previously convicted of multiple drug charges and burglary, serving time with the Mississippi Department of Corrections. He is currently under indictment in three separate cases for possession of methamphetamine, possession of cocaine, trafficking methamphetamine, possession of a firearm by a felon, felony fleeing and evidence tampering.
West's trial will most likely be held in the spring of 2025. Judge Funderburk's next term in Alcorn County begins in February.
