Jeffrey Spence is serving a mandatory life sentence without parole at the South Mississippi Correctional Institution in Leakesville, Mississippi. A Tippah County jury found him guilty of first-degree murder on March 27, 2026, for the shotgun killing of 36-year-old businessman Kirby Carpenter. The crime occurred on November 30, 2022, outside Carpenter’s home in Dry Creek. Spence remains in state custody today.
| Attribute / Subject | Verified Record | Location / Jurisdiction | Key Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central Offender | Jeffrey Spence | Reynoldsville, PA / Virginia | Convicted murderer and former commercial deer farm operator |
| Victim | Kirby Carpenter (Age 36) | Dry Creek, Tippah County, MS | Entrepreneur and father of Caitlin Spence’s infant child |
| Crime Date & Scene | November 30, 2022 | Carpenter’s Residence, Dry Creek | Body discovered on December 2, 2022, near his carport |
| Murder Weapon | 12-Gauge Shotgun | Recovered from Spence’s vehicle | Single fatal close-range shotgun blast |
| Conviction & Verdict | First-Degree Murder | Tippah County Circuit Court | Guilty verdict returned March 27, 2026 (Judge John Kelly Luther presiding) |
| Current Facility | South Mississippi Correctional Institution (SMCI) | Leakesville, Greene County, MS | State maximum/medium facility; serving life without parole |
| Co-Defendants | Caitlin Spence & Karen Spence | Mississippi State Court | Pled guilty to accessory charges in exchange for trial testimony |
| Media Investigation | Dateline NBC: ‘The Betrayal of Kirby Carpenter’ | National Broadcast | Two-hour investigative report anchored by Andrea Canning |
The Discovery and Initial Investigation in Dry Creek
On December 2, 2022, Caitlin Spence contacted the Tippah County Sheriff’s Office to report that she had discovered Kirby Carpenter’s body. He lay lifeless beside his carport in the rural community of Dry Creek. Investigators determined that an assailant had shot him two days earlier with a shotgun. Carpenter ran several local enterprises, and he regularly kept substantial reserves of physical currency, silver, and gold coins. His personal safe had vanished from the residence, along with hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash.
A Secret Confession and the Multi-State Dragnet
The homicide probe stalled for nearly eleven months until a crucial tip reached detectives in November 2023. A confidant revealed that Caitlin had admitted her father was responsible for Carpenter’s death. Law enforcement swiftly secured arrest warrants for Jeffrey Spence, his wife Karen, and Caitlin across state borders. When deputies searched Spence’s home and car, they seized two mobile phones, keys to a private storage unit, and approximately $17,000 in cash. Officers also located a muddy shotgun matching the ballistics profile of the murder weapon, which directly demolished his initial alibi.
From a Deadlocked Jury to a Mandatory Life Sentence
Jeffrey Spence faced two criminal trials in Tippah County before a jury settled his fate. His first trial commenced in September 2025, but proceedings halted when the panel deadlocked in a 6–6 tie. Circuit Judge John Kelly Luther declared a mistrial after hours of fruitless deliberation. The retrial opened in March 2026 with sharpened testimony from both of his daughters. Caitlin took the stand under a plea agreement for accessory after the fact, while his elder daughter Carolyn Aguayo recounted prior family financial deceits. On March 27, 2026, the twelve jurors found him guilty of first-degree murder, prompting Judge Luther to impose a mandatory life term without parole.
Prior Scandals and the Pennsylvania Trophy Buck Theft
The 2022 Mississippi killing was not Spence’s first encounter with law enforcement. Decades earlier, he operated the White Oak Whitetail deer breeding farm in Reynoldsville, Pennsylvania. He faced grand theft charges in 1999 after a famous 28-point trophy buck named Goliath vanished from the neighboring Wild Bunch Ranch. State prosecutors convicted him of livestock theft in 2005, yielding a ninety-day jail term and seven years of probation. Tensions mounted again years later when he relocated to Virginia, where relatives noted mounting disputes over debt, personal property, and life insurance policies.
Where Is Jeffrey Spence Incarcerated Today?
Spence is serving his life sentence at the South Mississippi Correctional Institution in Leakesville. The maximum-security complex sits in rural Greene County and houses roughly three thousand male inmates. Mississippi state statutes exclude individuals convicted of first-degree murder from parole consideration. He will remain incarcerated there for the remainder of his natural life. Karen Spence and Caitlin Spence entered guilty pleas for their respective secondary roles, closing a painful chapter for the Carpenter family.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did Jeffrey Spence act alone in the killing of Kirby Carpenter?
No, authorities established that the crime involved multiple family members. Caitlin Spence pled guilty to accessory after the fact, while Karen Spence entered a guilty plea to grand larceny charges connected with the stolen valuables.
How long is Jeffrey Spence’s prison sentence in Mississippi?
He received a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. Under Mississippi law, offenders convicted of first-degree murder must serve their complete terms in state custody.
What episode of Dateline covers the Kirby Carpenter murder?
The case is chronicled in the two-hour Dateline NBC episode titled ‘The Betrayal of Kirby Carpenter’, reported by correspondent Andrea Canning.
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