Man whose mother and sisters were found dead on Mother’s Day is killed in shooting

A Mississippi man wanted in connection with a triple shooting that left his mother and two sisters dead was shot to death during a shootout with state troopers in Arizona, authorities said Monday.

Authorities in Ridgeland, north of Jackson, discovered the women’s bodies in a home on Mother’s Day, Police Chief Brian Myers said in an email.

Police believe they were shot to death in their home on Saturday, he said.

Myers identified the victims as Ida Thomas Welch, 76; Vicky Renée Welch, 56; and Crystal Lynn Welch, 42. They were found after family members requested a Social Security check, he said.

Police obtained an arrest warrant alleging the murder of Ida Welch’s son, Ivory James Welch III, Myers said.

Ivory Welch fled the state and was found Monday by state troopers in Arizona, Myers said.

A spokesperson for the Arizona Department of Public Safety said troopers were alerted to the suspect’s sighting at 7:30 a.m. near Safford, west of the New Mexico line. When authorities spotted him nearly three hours later on a nearby interstate, the spokesperson said in a statement, they conducted a traffic stop and attempted to take him into custody.

Ivory Welch exited the car and “produced a firearm, which resulted in an officer-involved shooting,” the statement said.

The suspect was pronounced dead at the scene. No law enforcement officers were injured in the shooting.

Authorities did not provide additional details about the police shooting or the triple homicide.

In a statement, the American Civil Liberties Union of Mississippi said Crystal Welch was the president of its board of directors. She had been in the role since last year.

“I simply cannot process today’s news,” Executive Director Jarvis Dortch said in a statement. “She was always asking what else she could do to support our team and our work. Our team and board will be forever grateful for her commitment to equality and justice. We will miss her passion for life, infectious spirit and enthusiasm.”