HAZLEHURST—On January 14, 2024, Four people were killed in a propane explosion at a home on Wilderness Road in Copiah County. The civil case in connection with the tragedy is moving along. 

Loyd Star Attendance Center student and football player Toler Jordan, 14, died along with his cousin Houston “Bubba,” Jordan, 18, who was a 2023 graduate of the Reading Nook Academy and a Brookhaven Academy football player. Calvin “Benjy,” Jordan was Bubba’s father and Toler’s uncle. He was 43 years old and his friend Jeremy Mitchell, 52, died a few days after the explosion from injuries he sustained. 

A lawsuit was filed against Hering Gas Company following the propane explosion due to a belief the tank was “improperly inspected.” The Daily Leader reported the propane tank was filled on Saturday night around 7 p.m. and the explosion occurred Sunday at 2 p.m. When the accident happened, the three Jordans were outside with another man — identified by attorney Dougals Mercier as Jeremy Mitchell — and four women were inside the home. They were Benjy’s wife Mitzi, their daughter Maggie, Mitchell’s wife, and another woman.

The suit contends that Herring Gas and its employees were directly responsible for the explosion and therefore should be accountable for its consequences.  

Benjamin Wilson, the attorney representing the Jordan family in the case, gave an update Tuesday morning. 

“We’re still actively litigating the case.  We have a mediation date set for early November,” Wilson said. “We’re still on track for our March 2025 trial date.”