A suspect has been arrested and a stolen vehicle recovered in relation to ongoing investigations by the Mississippi Agriculture and Livestock Theft Bureau (MALTB) into thefts at the Indianola Airport. The thefts, which include a 1976 Piper Cub airplane, were reported to the Sunflower County Sheriff’s Department on December 20, 2024.
MALTB investigators joined the case, following an earlier investigation at the same airport where stolen equipment, including a tractor and side-by-side vehicle, were recovered.
While continuing their investigation, the Madison Police Department stopped a Corvette on Interstate 55 in Madison. Officers discovered the car had been stolen from Alabama. The driver, 43-year-old Barrett Duet Cochran of Indianola, was arrested.
Cochran now faces multiple charges, including:
Receiving stolen property
Possession of a controlled substance
Possession of a stolen firearm with a controlled substance
Further questioning revealed that Cochran is the girlfriend of Christopher Douglas Showah, who had previously been arrested by MALTB for involvement in the thefts at Indianola Airport. Investigators also connected the stolen Corvette to the earlier theft of the Piper Cub airplane.
MALTB Director Dean Barnard praised the coordinated efforts of the MALTB team, Sunflower County Sheriff’s Department, and Madison Police Department in solving the case and recovering stolen items.
Authorities are urging anyone with information regarding agricultural thefts to contact local law enforcement or the Mississippi Agriculture & Livestock Theft Bureau at 1-800-678-2660, or Central Mississippi Crime Stoppers at 601-355-TIPS (8477). Tips remain anonymous, and rewards may be offered for leads resulting in arrests and convictions.
For more details on the Mississippi Agriculture and Livestock Theft Bureau and its efforts to combat agricultural crime, visit msagtheft.org.