Former Marshall Academy Football Coach Among Two Killed in Plane Crash Near Holly Springs Airport

A former Marshall Academy assistant football coach was among two people killed Sunday evening when a small plane crashed near the Holly Springs-Marshall County Airport, authorities said.

The crash occurred about 5 p.m. in a wooded area south of the runway near the intersection of Bishop Road and Bicycle Road, according to the Marshall County Sheriff’s Office. Officials identified the victims as Wesley Bolden, 29, of Marshall County, and Jordan Hall, 17, of Olive Branch.

Bolden was a member of the Marshall Academy Class of 2017 and previously served as an assistant football coach at the school. In a statement, the Marshall Academy community described Bolden as a skilled aviator with a passion for teaching and mentoring, whose loss will be felt deeply by students, colleagues, and friends.

Bolden is survived by his fiancée, Erica Keller, and his young daughter, Ruby Jean, along with an extended family. School officials asked the community to keep the family in their prayers.

Emergency responders secured the crash site shortly after reports of a downed aircraft. No additional details about the plane’s flight path or mechanical condition were immediately available.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation. The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are expected to lead the investigation.

The area has experienced previous aviation incidents near the airport, including a fatal crash in 2000 and a non-fatal engine failure in 2011, authorities said.