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Murder suspect Krystal Kersey is led into Gautier Municipal Court by Gautier police officers Monday afternoon for her bond hearing. Municipal Court Judge Jason Thornton set bond at $100,000.

(Warren Kulo/wkulo@al.com)

GAUTIER, Mississippi -- 25-year-old Krystal Kersey was formally charged with murdering her husband of two months, 24-year-old Justin Stork, by deliberately running over him with her vehicle Saturday night.

Gautier Municipal Court Judge Jason Thornton carefully explained the charge to Kersey and set her bail at $100,000. Kersey spoke quietly, telling the judge she understood the charge and that she has yet to speak to an attorney, but her mother was "working on finding" her one.

Police were initially unsure of Kersey and Stork were married, but lead investigator Det. Jonathan Whitfield confirmed after the hearing that they were married. The two also have a one-month-old daughter together.

Whitfield also said an autopsy had been performed on Stork, but his department had not yet received the autopsy or toxicology report.

He also addressed reports that Stork and Kersey's relationship was a volatile one.

"I am aware of a previous domestic situation," Whitfield said. "But he (Stork) was not arrested in that incident."

Whitfield added that incident was not in Mississippi and that he has yet to confirm reports of heavy drug use by Stork.

Outside the courtroom Monday, Kersey's mother, Andrea Kersey, said she was "devastated" at what has transpired.

"She's all I've got," Andrea Kersey said of her daughter. "Her and my grandbaby."

Andrea Kersey also said her daughter's relationship with Stork had been an abusive one and that she only knew of their marriage through friends who had seen it on Facebook.

"I have feared for my daughter's life since she went with that boy," she said, adding she believes her daughter suffers from depression. She also said Stork worked at Halter Marine while Krystal was a stay-at-home mom.

Andrea Kersey was asked if they were going to be able to post bond for her daughter.

"We're going to see what we can do," she said.

Gautier Capt. Jerry Cooksey said Kersey had to leave the roadway in her small Toyota car Saturday night and drive between two River Bend apartment buildings to hit Stork.

Apartment residents called police shortly after 8 p.m. Saturday, and officers found Stork lying dead in a grassy area between the buildings.

"They called Acadian Ambulance just to make sure," Cooksey said. "But he had a lot of trauma to his body."

At one point, Stork was pinned between Kersey's car and a tree, he said, and was dragged for an unknown distance.

Witness statements pointed officers to Kersey as a suspect, and they located her blue Toyota at about 1 a.m. today.

"We were able to reach her by phone and told her to come on in and give us a statement," Cooksey said.

Authorities are not sure how fast Kersey was driving when she hit Stork, he said, but authorities are working to reconstruct the scene.

Witnesses said Stork did not seem to be running from Kersey.

"Witnesses said he was just standing out there," Cooksey said.

Cooksey said the woman did not appear to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol, and she hasn't indicated a motive for running over the man.