Jeffery Mark Gathings was a 23-year-old deputy sheriff working as the dispatcher at the West Carroll Parish Jail when he was killed in the early morning hours of June 19, 1988. A former inmate, Frank Bancroft, arrived at the jail under the pretense of a visit but was carrying a shotgun stolen from his stepfather. Bancroft confronted Deputy Gathings and shot him in the face at close range, causing instantaneous death.

After the killing, Bancroft freed two incarcerated brothers, Sonny James Caston and Frank Caston, and the three fled the jail. They were captured near Lake Providence, Louisiana. A grand jury indicted all three on first-degree murder charges; Bancroft and Frank Caston were found guilty of first-degree murder, and Sonny James Caston was convicted of second-degree murder. All three received life sentences for their roles in the jailbreak and killing of Deputy Gathings.

Does anyone have additional information about Gathings life or the jail escape that could add context to the case?