WEST POINT – Two brothers pleaded guilty Wednesday for their roles in the 2022 capital murder of Mikel Craven.
Greyson Klutts, 21, who was originally charged with capital murder, pleaded guilty to one count of manslaughter, with Judge Lee Howard sentencing him to 20 years with the Mississippi Department of Corrections, 10 to serve and 10 suspended.
Scott Colom, district attorney for the 16th Circuit District, said Greyson Klutts’ initial cooperation with law enforcement, willingness to testify and the fact that he didn’t have a gun all played a part in his sentence recommendation.
“And he was willing to take it, which is also a good thing,” Colom told The Dispatch.
Jeremy Klutts, 19, pleaded guilty to accessory to murder after the fact and received a 10-year suspended sentence with MDOC. He was given five years of supervised probation on the condition he serve one year in the Clay County Detention Center.
Similarly, Jeremy Klutts cooperated with law enforcement, and he wasn’t present during the actual murder, Colom said.
“Really the year in county jail was based on the fact that he didn’t go to the police right away,” Colom said. “He lied for a significant period of time, so we thought a year in the county was consistent with what we’ve done with other people.”
The brothers were two of four suspects originally charged in connection to the murder. The other two suspects, Emerson Houston and Austin Hill, have already been sentenced for their roles in the crime.
Craven was found lying in a ditch on March 11, 2022, suffering from gunshot wounds. Paramedics attempted life-saving measures, but Craven died at the scene.
About six weeks later, a witness connected Jeremy Klutts and Greyson Klutts to the murder, telling investigators the brothers started that night at their friend Austin Hill’s house.
When the brothers arrived, Hill and Houston were messaging each other about plans to rob the home of someone they knew. According to testimony from Houston’s trial, Houston picked up the three boys, and the group rode together to the residence to see if the targeted victim was at home.
However, when they arrived at the home, they noticed someone was still inside.
During Houston’s trial in July, the two brothers testified Jeremy Klutts stayed in the car as the three other boys left their vehicle, with Houston and Hill both carrying guns.
When they arrived at the front porch, the victim opened the door holding a machete, preparing to defend himself, but he was shot by both Hill and Houston after they demanded money from him, according to the testimony.
Messages recovered from the boys’ Instagrams revealed Houston had initially reached out to Hill with a plan to rob someone. They also indicated the boys planned to bring guns, and they knew someone was in the home they were targeting.
Hill pleaded guilty to capital murder in January 2025 and was sentenced to 41 years in prison without the possibility of parole. A jury found Houston guilty of capital murder, and he was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole.
McRae is a general assignment and education reporter for The Dispatch.
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