OXFORD WEEKLY PLANET

Sunday, August 27, 2023

Ole Miss instructor dies at home

Authorities won't comment on suicide rumor

This morning, Yoknapatawpha County Sheriff's officers were called to an apartment complex on Hathorn Road for a reported suicide.

Police found the body of a University of Mississippi Instructor.

Sheriff's Department Public Information Officer Elizabeth Jones said Kristal Bentley Waterson, 26, was found dead in her two-bedroom apartment. According to PIO Jones, Waterson's roommate made the discovery and placed a 911 call shortly after 9:00 a.m. on Sunday.

Jones declined to comment on whether the death was a suicide, saying the investigation was ongoing.

An instructor in the School of Business Administration, Waterson is survived by her parents, Michael and Virginia Waterson, of Biloxi. Mr. Waterson, a political consultant, controls the Waterson oil dynasty and is well-known throughout the state as a dominant force in state and national politics. The family has not released a statement.

Waterson's roommate, reportedly also a family member, did not return calls seeking comment.

News of Kristi Waterson's death galvanized the city and particularly the campus. A faculty member, described as a friend, commented, "This is sad. If her death was a suicide, we never saw it coming. She never said anything that would have given us a clue."

Other students and faculty members remembered Waterson as a "good teacher" who "had an upbeat attitude."

Waterson obtained her undergraduate degree in Political Science and Master of Business Administration from the University of Mississippi before accepting a teaching position there.

Pending autopsy, funeral arrangements will be made by the Hodges Funeral Home, Inc.

Check back for updates on this developing story.

By Kemper Jones at 6:10 PM