By Pat Culverhouse

A juvenile suspect is in custody in connection with an early Sunday morning double homicide that took the life of a former Minden city councilman and appointed mayor and his daughter.

Minden Chief of Police Jared McIver identified the victims as Joe Cornelius, 82, and his 31-year-old daughter, Keisha Miles. McIver said the homicides occurred sometime around 6 a.m. Sunday at a residence in the 100 block of Austin St.

“We have the juvenile in custody and we’re still gathering information,” McIver said.

Cornelius had retired as a Deputy Ward Marshall under Marshall Dan Weaver.

He served on the Minden City Council representing Council District A and B, and was appointed mayor by the city council in 2013 following the death of then-mayor Bill Robertson.

For years, Joe Cornelius was a fixture in Minden, well known for serving ice cream to children of the area and for being on hand for grieving families. He was instrumental in beginning Black History observations locally.

More information will follow as it is available.

This information has been provided by a law enforcement agency as public information. Persons named as suspects in a criminal investigation, or arrested and charged with a crime, have not been convicted of any criminal offense and are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.