Tenn. woman slain at Hollywood's Tunica, Miss. casino was pregnant

Tenn. woman slain at Miss. casino was pregnant
By: HOLBROOK MOHR Associated Press
Published: April 06, 2012

JACKSON, Miss. --
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) A Tennessee woman who appears to have been killed with a sharp object at a Mississippi casino hotel was five- to six-months pregnant, authorities said Friday.

Brandi Nicole Floyd, 25, was found early Thursday on the floor of room 139 at Hollywood Casino's hotel in Tunica County, Miss. Nathaniel Yates III, believed to be Floyd's boyfriend, was arrested on suspicion of murder.

Floyd and Yates are from Collierville, Tenn. Casino officials said they were together when checking in to the hotel.

Deputies went to the hotel after receiving a report about a disturbance at 5:52 a.m., Chief Deputy Randy Stewart said.

Yates, 34, allegedly tried to escape by jumping through the glass of the first-floor window and was subdued with a stun gun. He remained hospitalized Friday at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Desoto Hospital with cuts and bruises from jumping through the glass. His injuries are not considered life threatening, Stewart said.

Yates was being guarded at the hospital and will be taken into custody when he's released, authorities said.

Stewart said an autopsy was being performed Friday and investigators will discuss those findings with county prosecutors and decide which charge or charges Yates will face. It's possible he could be charged with the deaths of Floyd and her fetus.

Steward said it appears a sharp object was used to kill the woman. A knife found at the scene was sent to the state crime lab for forensic testing to help determine if it was the weapon used in the slaying.

Stewart said Floyd's body was found on the floor of the room after Yates jumped out the window. Medical responders were called to the scene, but the coroner later declared her dead.

Tunica County, about 30 miles south of Memphis, Tenn., has nine casinos on the Mississippi River. Hollywood Casino has a 54,000-square-foot gambling hall and a 494-room hotel.

Casino spokesman Jeff Strang has said gambling operations continued and that no other patrons were in danger due to the situation.

Hollywood Casino is owned by Wyomissing, Pa.-based Penn National Gaming Inc.