WatchesJun 30, 2026
Pokémon Fans Will Want to Catch This New G-Shock WatchThe new watch commemorates Pokémon’s 30th anniversary.
CrimeDec 22, 2016
Suspects Arrested in Triple Homicide at Mississippi Store
Police said that Joshua M. Garcia, 37, and Jamieson L. Townsend, 35, were taken into custody in Kansas early Wednesday morning.
Jamieson L. Townsend, 35, and her boyfriend, 37-year-old Joshua Garcia, were arrested Wednesday and are being charged in a triple homicide committed Saturday at a jewelry store and pawn shop in Jackson, Mississippi.
Johnson City, Kansas--The couple wanted in the murder of a Jackson, Mississippi jewelry store/pawn shop owner and his two employees were arrested early Wednesday following a police chase in rural Kansas.
Joshua M. Garcia, 37, of Biloxi, Mississippi, and Jamieson L. Townsend, 35, of Blue Springs, Missouri, were taken into custody by a Geary County sheriff’s deputy shortly after midnight Wednesday morning, the Jewelers Security Alliance said via an email alert that went out Wednesday afternoon.
The Jackson Police Department said via Twitter that both are being charged with three counts of capital murder and one count of armed robbery of a business, and face extradition from Kansas to Mississippi.
The manhunt for the couple and their red Dodge Charger started after Jackson police discovered Saturday evening that 81-year-old Bill Mosley, the owner of Bill’s Pawn Jewelry Coin/Stamp Exchange, and his two employees, 60-year-old Robert Ivy and 70-year-old Ted McLemore, had been shot to death during a robbery at the store.
The JSA was offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the suspects’ arrest.
On Monday, a trooper in Coffee County, Tennessee, tried to pull over Garcia and Townsend because the Charger did not have tags, WKRN reported, but the couple managed to elude the trooper.
After midnight on Wednesday morning, Garcia and Townsend were stopped by law enforcement again, about 980 miles northwest in Johnson City, Kansas.
There, the JSA said, a Geary County sheriff’s deputy pulled over the Charger because it didn’t have any registration displayed. The couple tried to get away again and the deputy gave chase, pursuing Garcia and Townsend down a dead-end road where Garcia wrecked the car and then fled on foot.
According to the JSA, Townsend was arrested at the scene of the crash while Garcia was found about a mile away hiding in the back seat of a vehicle.
Garcia has a record that includes convictions for armed robbery, burglary, receiving stolen property and grand larceny stretching back to 1999 and according to The Clarion-Ledger in Jackson, he was paroled in 2014 and no longer under observation as of January 2015.
Townsend’s LinkedIn profile states that she is a graduate of Graceland University in Des Moines, Iowa and worked as registered nurse, though the information the JSA supplied stated that her nursing license expired last year. She has two children, though it was not immediately clear if they are with Garcia.
The couple
also is wanted in connection with the Dec. 13 robbery of a jewelry store in Pascagoula, Mississippi.
The loss of Mosley, Ivy and McLemore mark the third, fourth and fifth members of the jewelry industry killed while on the job in 2016. Leopolda Velda was shot to death inside his store, Corona Jewelry in Milwaukee, on Halloween, and traveling salesman Muhammed Shaikh was murdered in Dallas in June.
The loss of Mosley, Ivy and McLemore mark the third, fourth and fifth members of the jewelry industry killed while on the job in 2016. Leopolda Velda was shot to death inside his store, Corona Jewelry in Milwaukee, on Halloween, and traveling salesman Muhammed Shaikh was murdered in Dallas in June.
More on Crime
The Latest
MajorsJun 30, 2026
Saks Global Emerges From Bankruptcy With New NameThe luxury retailer is now called Exemplar Luxury Group.
CollectionsJun 30, 2026
Jade Ruzzo’s New Collection Embodies the Art of Being a LadyThe “Lady” collection is a new take on old beauty standards with gemstone-adorned hair pins and combs, a compact mirror necklace, and more.
Brought to you by
Wedding Band Trends 2026: Personalization Takes Center StageColored gemstones, artisan finishes, mixed metals, and meaningful details are shaping demand in bridal jewelry.
SourcingJun 30, 2026
Blue Nile Introduces Montana Sapphire CollectionThe new line is included in the e-tailer’s curation of jewelry celebrating America’s 250th anniversary.
Weekly QuizJun 25, 2026
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
GradingJun 30, 2026
AGS Opens 2026 Recertification ExamAll active members who earned their credential or designation before Dec. 1, 2025, are required to recertify.
CollectionsJun 29, 2026
Briony Raymond’s New Collection Is a ‘Carousel’ of Hard StonesThe new jewelry collection uses a colorful palette of onyx, malachite, tiger’s eye, mother-of-pearl, lapis, turquoise, and coral.
Brought to you by
Building the Future of Jewelry Retail: DCA Expands Education, Leadership Development, and Workforce SolutionsDCA is preparing the next generation of professionals by supporting workforce development, leadership growth, and career advancement.
IndependentsJun 29, 2026
Look Inside Lee Michaels’ Revamped Mississippi FlagshipLee Michaels Fine Jewelry is celebrating 30 years in the Ridgeland, Mississippi community.
GradingJun 29, 2026
National Rarities Announces New Gemology ManagerSean Milliner has joined the company.
GradingJun 29, 2026
GIA to Open New London CampusClasses will begin in August at GIA’s new Canary Wharf location.
AuctionsJun 26, 2026
‘Hogback’ Diamond Ring Finds a New Home A ring set with “hogback” diamonds, an early stone cut dating to around the 16th century, sold for more than $20,000 at a U.K. auction.
CollectionsJun 26, 2026
Strength Is Sharpened Into Beauty in Kris Averi’s ‘Prism Thorn’ RingThe rainbow version of the ring, our Piece of the Week, features angel-cut, octahedral lab-grown sapphires designed to be worn as armor.
MajorsJun 26, 2026
Rembrandt Charms Debuts ‘Charms That Give Back’The new initiative donates a portion of the proceeds from select charms to charitable causes.
TrendsJun 26, 2026
Bernard James Celebrates Knicks’ Win with RingThe Brooklyn-based jeweler created a limited-edition version of its “Aura” eternity band, set with gemstones in the team’s colors.
SourcingJun 25, 2026
ICA Names Brandee Dallow as CEODallow will lead the International Colored Gemstone Association, effective July 6.
EditorsJun 25, 2026
Out & About: How Jewelers Mutual, SCAD Are Tackling the Bench Jeweler ShortageSenior Editor Lenore Fedow headed to Savannah to learn more about the 10-year, $10 million partnership between JM and the art school.
CollectionsJun 25, 2026
Mejuri Experiments With SteelIts new capsule jewelry collection features gold-finished stainless steel pieces designed for a maximalist look without a luxury price tag.
Events & AwardsJun 25, 2026
Watches & Wonders Announces 2027 DatesThe week-long event in Geneva is slated for April 2027.
SourcingJun 25, 2026
Annie Doresca, Mark Smelzer, Sara Yood Join Gem Legacy BoardThe three industry leaders bring financial, communications, and legal expertise to the nonprofit’s board of directors.
ColumnistsJun 24, 2026
The Revenue Hiding Between Your Counter and Your Online CartJewelers are missing out by not offering this one key add-on at the online point of sale, Emmanuel Raheb writes.
CollectionsJun 24, 2026
Greenwich St. Jewelers, Jewel Boxing’s Latest Drop Is On-TrendThe fourth collaborative collection from the retailer and jewelry content creator focuses on gemstone charms and strands of colorful beads.
Events & AwardsJun 24, 2026
AGTA Accepting Entries for Spectrum 2026This year’s AGTA Spectrum & Cutting Edge Awards will feature two new categories.
SourcingJun 24, 2026
Columbia Gem House To Offer Alexandrite Melee OnlineThe collection features traceable alexandrite from Brazil in calibrated sizes that is sorted by grade.
MajorsJun 24, 2026
CaratLane Names New Chief Sales OfficerDhaval Raja has been appointed to the role.
CollectionsJun 23, 2026
Francesca Villa Goes ‘On the Road’The capsule collection looks to vintage trunk pins that echo the spirit of speed, freedom, and the mythology of the American road trip.
SourcingJun 23, 2026
New Paraíba Tourmaline Source Reportedly Discovered in EthiopiaSSEF issued a notice about the potential new source of the sought-after gemstone, citing “credible reports” from trade sources.
