AP / File

Rep. Jessica Upshaw was found dead from a gunshot wound Sunday afternoon.

Mississippi officials are investigating the death of state legislator who was found at the home of a former colleague Sunday afternoon, according to authorities.

State Rep. Jessica Upshaw, 53, appeared to have died of a gunshot wound, Simpson County Sheriff Kenneth Lewis told NBC station WLBT in Jackson, Miss.  

“It appeared she had a gunshot wound to her head. It appeared to be self-inflicted,” Lewis told WLBT .

The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation is leading the investigation, and thus far have said little about the ongoing investigation.

Upshaw, a Republican who had served in the state legislature since 2004 representing District 95, was discovered at the private residence of former state lawmaker Clint Rotenberry, in Mendenhall, Miss., more than 100 miles from her home near the Gulf Coast.

Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant (R) released a statement Sunday evening praising the late lawmaker.

"I have known Jessica for many years as an unselfish and dedicated public servant. This is a tragic loss for her family and all Mississippians, and our thoughts and prayers go out to her family during this difficult time," Bryant said.

Upshaw's death marks the fifth time in as many months that a Mississippi lawmaker has passed away, although the other four died of natural causes.

"Once again this session, the House has been touched by tragedy," Mississippi House Speaker Philip Gunn, said in a statement. "Rep. Jessica Upshaw was an outstanding legislator and friend. She was one of the brightest and most competent members of the House."

Upshaw, a former attorney, was chairwoman of the Conservation and Natural Resources Committee in the Mississippi House of Representatives.

The Associated Press contributed to this report  

A small, single-engine plane en route to a Federal Aviation Administration safety conference crashed into a house in a Jackson, Miss., neighborhood late Tuesday, killing all three people aboard, authorities said. A resident of the home escaped with minor injuries.

The Piper PA-32 had just taken off from the city’s Hawkins Field Airport when it began to falter. A police officer who saw the plane go down said it was sputtering, and the plane's owner told The Associated Press it struck several trees as it went down. The three people in the plane were said to be pilots.

The crash happened in west Jackson, just south of the city’s zoo, just after 5 p.m. local time (6 p.m. ET) Tuesday. The house is located on Marcus L. Butler Drive south of W. Capitol Street, NBC affiliate WLBT reported.

Dramatic aerial pictures of the scene were aired by WLBT.

Large flames and black smoke rose about 50 feet from the house that was hit, which is in a neighborhood of single-family homes surrounded by big magnolia and oak trees, according to witnesses.

Hinds County Coroner Sharon Grisham-Stewart confirmed to the AP that three people died in the crash. She said dental records or DNA would be needed to confirm their identities.

The plane was owned by Roger and Michele Latham, from Superior Pallet Company in Flowood, Miss., both of whom showed up at the crash site, along with their daughter, Emily Latham. Michele Latham said all three men on board were pilots. 

Emily Latham noted that her father was supposed to have been on board but changed his plans. "He went hunting," she told AP. "Thank God."

Rogelio V. Solis / AP

Fire fighters re-enter a west Jackson, Miss., home where authorities say a small plane carrying three people Tuesday evening.

"We had three great men who lost their lives," Roger Latham said. "I just want to wake up in a while and say, 'This didn't happen.'"

Authorities did not confirm the identities of any of the victims.

The plane had just departed Hawkins Field Airport headed for Raymond, Miss., for an FAA safety conference, just 25 miles away.

Latham said his plane had been parked in a hangar for a month and they wanted to take it out for a short flight before he flew it to Gulf Shores, Ala., for Thanksgiving. Latham said he had owned the plane for 2 1/2 years and described it as being in mint condition.

The plane took off at 5:10 p.m. and shortly after, the pilot asked for permission to return to the airport, according to a news release issued by the Jackson Municipal Airport Authority. The plane was unable to return and crashed.

Latham said a Jackson police officer who was about a block away when the plane was coming down told him "it was spitting and sputtering and ... starving for fuel."

Vivian Payne, who lives about six blocks from the crash site, said she heard a loud bang.

"It shook the walls of my house," Payne said as she stood among ambulances, police cars and fire trucks, their lights flashing in the chilly night air.

The National Transportation Safety Board along with the FAA will be investigating the cause of the crash.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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