Prosecuting Attorney David Butler issued a news release Tuesday afternoon relating to the murder of Douglas Harwell near Taylor. The release states that Keaton Taylor and De’kota Despain have been arrested for the murder. Despain is being held at the Columbia County Detention Center. Taylor was taken into custody in Louisiana and is expected to be brought to Columbia County Wednesday. Despain and Taylor are both 16 years of age, but the release states that they will be charged as adults. Charges are anticipated to be capital murder, aggravated residential burglary, aggravated robbery, and theft of property over $25,000. Butler’s office also released the “probable cause” affidavit in the arrest of Despain. The affidavit was written by State Police Special Agent Louis Imler. It states that Imler and Magnolia Police Captain Michael Caldwell interviewed Despain Friday. Despain reportedly said he was pulling the .380 pistol out of his pocket and it went off and hit Harwell in the back. He told officers that he then shot Harwell in the head. It is reported that Despain later asked to speak to officers again; at that time he said that he fired one shot and Keaton fired one shot. Despain is also reported to have told officers that he later took guns and other items from Harwell’s house. He told officers that he and Keaton had been discussing the crime a few days prior to the incident. Butler, in his release, said that three of the charges carry penalties of up to life in prison.
