Fla. gov asks Miss. officials to extradite man who is person of interest in girl’s slaying

Extradition sought in connection with girl’s death

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida Gov. Charlie Crist is asking Mississippi officials to extradite a man who is a person of interest in the slaying of a 7-year-old girl.

Crist asked Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour on Thursday to extradite Jarred Mitchell Harrell to Florida, where he faces 29 counts of possession of child pornography.

Authorities say Harrell is wanted for questioning in Somer Thompson’s October death. Her body was found in a south Georgia landfill two days after she disappeared while walking home from school in Orange Park, near Jacksonville.

Harrell, an unemployed 24-year-old who lived on and off in Somer’s neighborhood, was arrested last week in Meridian, Miss. He is being held there on a $1 million bond. Barbour’s office had no immediate comment.