Reveal: The Deputies Who Tortured a Mississippi County

Podcast: Reveal (by The Center for Investigative Reporting and PRX)
Date: November 8, 2025
Host: Al Letson
Reporters: Brian Howey, Nate Rosenfield
Main Theme:
An in-depth investigative exposé on a culture of torture and authoritarian policing in Rankin County, Mississippi—tracing a decades-long pattern of brutality, cover-ups, and eventual accountability in the sheriff’s department.

Episode Overview

The episode examines the brutal actions of a group of sheriff’s deputies in Rankin County, Mississippi—dubbed the "Goon Squad"—who tortured, brutalized, and humiliated local residents (many of them drug users), culminating in the high-profile shooting of Michael Jenkins in 2023. Through victim accounts, historical analysis, and dogged reporting, Reveal uncovers a deeply entrenched culture of unchecked abuse, its racial undertones, and the struggle for justice. The impact of the exposé leads to rare federal prosecutions, local activism, legal reforms, and a new federal investigation.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The "Drug Bust” That Exposed Systemic Torture

• Opening Incident (01:37–02:20):
  Deputies raid the home of Michael Jenkins and Eddie Parker under cover of a supposed drug bust. Jenkins is handcuffed, tased, waterboarded, beaten, and then shot in the mouth, while deputies hurl racial slurs.
• Initial Official Narrative:
  Authorities claim Jenkins pointed a gun at officers during a narcotics investigation. Victims say it was a racially motivated, unprovoked attack.

"Deputies handcuffed, tased, beat and waterboarded the man, all while hurling racial slurs." — Reporter (02:05)

• Reporters Brian Howey & Nate Rosenfield Begin Investigation:
  They wonder: Is this a single incident or evidence of a wider pattern?

2. Community Testimonies: A Pattern of Violence

• Andy Murphy’s Call (02:52–03:54):
  Andy, a local with prior drug convictions but no felonies, calls reporters to share her experiences of multiple raids and abuses by the same deputies.
• Social Context - Rankin vs. Jackson (05:14–06:08):
  Rankin County is largely white and sees itself as safe—re-electing Sheriff Bailey for his tough-on-crime image, even when he uses public stunts (e.g. fake warnings about Zika in meth) to garner attention.
• Witness Accounts (09:35–16:07):
  Victims recount in detail chilling scenes of deputies kicking, stomping, using tasers, suffocating, and torturing people during routine drug raids.

"You just don't [mess] around in Rankin County. It's just a given ... everybody gets, you know, beaten." — Andy Murphy (09:35)

• 2018 Incident (11:02–15:54):
  Rick Loveday (a fellow law enforcement officer) and others allege extreme beatings, use of food as tools of humiliation, and waterboarding at one raid; another victim, Catfish, describes a deputy shoving a gun in his mouth and tasing him.

3. A Culture Rooted in History

• Legacy of Sheriff Lloyd "Goon" Jones (18:26–21:35):
  The roots of violent police culture are traced back to the tenure of Sheriff Lloyd Jones, whose reputation for brutality and targeting of Black communities lasted decades. Current sheriff Brian Bailey was mentored by Jones.

"You were no doubt a part of who I am and what I am today." — Sheriff Bailey, about Lloyd Jones (21:14)

• The Goon Squad Emerges (22:10–23:15):
  Deputies accused of torture in the Jenkins case called themselves the "Goon Squad"—a direct echo of Jones’ legacy. They even created a challenge coin with the moniker.

4. Mapping the Pattern: Documented Evidence

• Corroboration Through Documents (23:15–31:02):
  Reporters use Taser logs, medical records, booking photos, and interviews with over 50 people to confirm 17 cases of abuse with evidence—most never reported or prosecuted.
• Brutality Tactics:
  Taser logs show deputies using stun guns 14 times in 90 minutes during a raid.
  Photos: Victims with swastika marks burned or drawn on them; scars from burns.
  Interviewees: Repeated accounts of racist comments, threats, and extreme violence.

5. Authorities’ Response: Denial and Evasion

• Sheriff Bailey Denies Knowledge (22:41, 34:19–35:12, 39:02–39:31):
  Bailey repeatedly insists he knew nothing of wrongdoing, denies knowledge of the "Goon Squad," and shifts responsibility to deputies:

"Yeah, I have 240 employees. There's no way I can beat them each and every day ... I have no comment." — Sheriff Brian Bailey (45:30)

• Complaint Dismissals:
  Multiple victims and a fellow sheriff’s deputy (Rick Loveday) allege their complaints were ignored or mocked (34:19–34:49).

6. The Fallout: Accountability, Reform, and Justice

• Federal Investigation and Charges (35:12–42:33):
  All deputies involved in the Jenkins and Parker torture plead guilty, receiving a combined 139 years in federal prison (42:37–42:59).

• Civil Lawsuits and Settlements (43:20–43:45):
  Jenkins and Parker sue Sheriff Bailey; after Bailey is denied qualified immunity, the case settles for $2.5 million.

• Bailey Refuses to Resign (39:02–39:31):
  Despite scandal, Bailey is re-elected unopposed.

• New Law and DOJ Actions (41:26–44:08; 50:04–51:10):
  New state oversight law passes, enabling decertification of abusive officers even without criminal conviction.
  DOJ launches a pattern-or-practice investigation into the entire department.

7. Community Impact and Resistance

• Public Outrage and Activism (40:12–41:26):
  Local NAACP chapter and residents demand Bailey’s removal; a petition gathers over 12,000 signatures but fails to oust him.

"We have a person who is running the jailhouse that does not know what he is doing ... We are going to make sure that he is removed from office." — Angela English, NAACP (41:10)

• Victims Speak—Not About Retribution, But Accountability (47:50–48:47):
  Andy Murphy, pivotal in connecting victims to reporters, voices hope for accountability for all abusive officers—not just those who were prosecuted.

8. The Human Cost: The Story of Andy Murphy

• Andy’s Fight and Final Reflections (46:00–49:37):
  Andy, battling stage-four breast cancer, spends her last months aiding reporters, fighting for justice, and reflecting on her legacy.

"I need those people that harmed people just like the other ones did, to... be accountable. ... There's certain things I'm not gonna do, certain things I would do, but be accountable, be responsible. You know, what the f*** is right and what... what's wrong." — Andy Murphy (47:50)

• Andy dies in July 2024 at age 50, with her efforts sparking continued investigations and reforms.

9. Continuing the Investigation

• New Allegations of Abuse in Rehabilitation Program (51:25–52:08):
  New tips allege a controversial inmate rehabilitation program, championed by Bailey, is abusing prisoners by forcing them to terrorize others. Reveal signals a follow-up episode.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “The humiliation, the degradation, the brutality. It sounded like torture.” — Brian Howey (12:59)
• "For many of the people we spoke to, the abuses of the goon squad were just a daily reality in Rankin County." — Brian Howey (35:43)
• "What is done in the dark will come to the light." — Malik Shabazz, lawyer for Jenkins/Parker (43:12)
• “It’s just so common what Rankin County does, that it’s just like, well, we went over Rankin County. We f***ed around. We got our ass handed to us.” — Andy Murphy (36:08)
• “You're not allowed to interfere with destiny ... Our destiny's our destiny.” — Andy Murphy on mortality and her activism (36:55)

Major Timestamps

• 01:37 – Jenkins/Parker torture incident and initial official narrative
• 09:35 – Andy Murphy describes community fear and violence
• 18:26–21:35 – History of Rankin County’s policing; the legacy of Lloyd Jones
• 22:10–23:15 – The Goon Squad nickname surfaces
• 23:15–31:02 – Evidence of pattern: Taser logs, photos, confirming abuse spanning years
• 34:19–35:12 – Victim complaints dismissed; Sheriff Bailey’s denials
• 39:02–39:31 – Bailey refuses to resign amid scandal
• 42:37–42:59 – Sentencing of deputies: 139 years in federal prison
• 47:50–48:47 – Andy Murphy summarizes her hope for accountability
• 50:04–51:10 – DOJ launches new “pattern-and-practice” investigation
• 51:25–52:08 – New allegations about the sheriff’s rehabilitation program

Tone and Style

The episode combines compassionate, first-person storytelling with hard-nosed investigative journalism. The language is direct, sometimes raw, allowing victims and community members to share their lived experience—often in their own words—without sanitization. The reporting is thorough and methodical, unafraid to ask hard questions or challenge official narratives.

Conclusion

This episode of Reveal exposes not just the crimes of individual deputies, but a whole system of impunity rooted in a legacy of racist and violent policing. Through careful investigation and the courage of ordinary community members, especially Andy Murphy, the story shows how accountability can finally reach even the most protected law enforcement officers—and how much work remains to be done.

Next week’s episode: The reporting team delves into new abuse allegations tied to the sheriff’s inmate rehabilitation program, continuing the fight for transparency and reform.