Murders on Hwy 17

I am trying to find out info on a family that lived off of Hwy 17,I believe they were the Ward family. My grandparents(Oscar and Maudie Jenkins)lived in Pickens before their deaths and at one time lived in the Old Meeks hotel off of 17. We had family that owned a house on 17 and sold it to the Ward family. We were back in Pickens recently and went back to see all the old places and noticed the house was burned down. Someone told us it was because of a gang attack on the Ward family. I am curious about what exactly happened. If anyone knows in info about this or knows where I can find out about it please let me know. You can email me at artistd78@yahoo.com.
Thanks for any info you can give me.
Donna Winstead

I am looking for some class mates that attended Hinds Community College in 1992-93 that lived in Pickens, Ms. Please contact me at chastityparnell@yahoo.com