The Attala County Sheriff’s Department has confirmed that both suspects connected to a recent aggravated assault in the Ethel area have been arrested.
The incident happened on May 31, 2025, on County Road 5213. Authorities say it began with a two-vehicle crash and escalated into an altercation in which one person was shot.
Following the investigation, Kenneth Ray McBride and Sammie Earl Lee were identified as suspects and faced multiple charges including aggravated assault, accessory after the fact, and conspiracy to commit a crime.
McBride was arrested on June 11 by the Choctaw County Sheriff’s Department on two warrants and transported to Attala County Sheriff’s Office. He was then booked into the Leake County Correctional Facility and charged with two counts of aggravated assault.
Lee was taken into custody on June 23 after deputies received an anonymous tip that he was traveling in a truck with a trailer in the Ethel area. He was located at the residence of David Huggins and detained without incident. A search of the vehicle led to the discovery of a meth pipe and a cigarette pouch containing shards of methamphetamine.
Both Lee and Huggins denied ownership of the drugs but were arrested and charged with possession of methamphetamine totaling 0.9 grams. Lee was also charged with conspiracy to commit a crime, accessory after the fact, and two counts of aggravated assault in relation to the May 31 incident.
The Attala County Sheriff’s Department thanks the public for their assistance in this case.
