Detectives: Bay St. Louis motel suspect died in police shootout, not murder-suicide

BAY ST. LOUIS (WGNO) — After two police officers and a female suspect died at a Mississippi motel earlier this week, new developments in the case reveal additional details about the events leading up to the shooting — including how the suspect died.

In a statement from the Mississippi Department of Public Safety, we’re told that around 2:30 a.m. Wednesday (Dec. 14), 43-year-old Amy Anderson and her underage daughter arrived for check-in at the Motel 6 on Highway 90 in Bay St. Louis. About an hour later, the front desk manager called 911, claiming Anderson had requested police and could be in distress.

We’re told that within minutes, Bay St. Louis Police Officer Branden Estorffe arrived on scene, soon followed by Sergeant Steven Robin.

Detectives say for the next 40 minutes, the officers spoke with Anderson and her child both in and outside of the motel room. Anderson told police she was in fear for her life and that she was being followed by a white pick-up truck.

The officers were reportedly in fear for the child’s safety and contacted the state’s office of Child Protection Services. That’s when Anderson and the child began loading their car with plans to leave the motel.

Shortly before 4:30 a.m., the MDPS reports that Anderson fired a single shot at Robin from the driver’s seat of her car.

Estorffe, who was on the phone with CPS, rushed to the vehicle. Several rounds of gunfire were exchanged between Estorffe and Anderson. Both were shot in the exchange and died as a result of their wounds. The child was unharmed.

The new information differs from the original reports from detectives that claim Anderson shot both officers and then turned the gun on herself.

MDPS Commissioner Sean Tindell commented on the findings, stating “It is my opinion that Officer Estorffe and Sergeant Robin’s concerns for the safety of the minor child were well-founded and based upon the mental state of Mrs. Anderson, their heroic actions very well may have saved the lives of others.”

Detectives continue to investigate the incident with updates to come as more information is released. In the meantime, a donation fund has been set up to aid the families of the fallen officers.