Suspect’s former girlfriend testifies in Beauregard Parish murder trial

DERIDDER, La. (KPLC) - A former girlfriend of James Derek Person testified in court Thursday morning that he planned the killing of Jimmie Box.

Person, 31, is standing trial on a first-degree murder charge in Box’s death. After Box was reported missing in August 2020, his body was found several weeks later in Bon Weir, Texas.

Shona West, a co-defendant of Person’s, testified Person planned Box’s killing and was also the one who killed Box.

She testified she was romantically involved with Person at the time of the killing and initially lied to investigators to protect Person.

She said when police came to arrest them, she was flushing dope down the toilet while Person was taking the gun apart and hiding the pieces.

She also testified the 4Runner Box was driving was hidden at her mom’s house in some bamboo for a while.

Earlier the jury heard from a forensic pathologist and an anthropologist from the LSU FACES lab. Both concluded Box died from a gunshot wound to the head.

Person’s co-defendants, West, 35, Clinton Ford, 37, and Hayley Limes, 28, all face the same charges of first-degree murder; criminal conspiracy; obstruction of justice. Zachary Sylvest, 25, is charged with obstruction of justice and illegal possession of stolen things.