Archie found guilty in Party City murder

RIDGELAND — The main suspect in a deadly armed robbery that occurred at the Party City here in 2012 was sentenced to life without parole after roughly nine hours of jury deliberation on Friday evening.

Joshua Leon Archie, 30, was sentenced to life without parole for a capital murder charge and five years for a conspiracy to commit a robbery charge.

The jury made their decisions around 8:30 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 13 in Madison County Circuit Court after roughly nine hours of deliberation, according to District Attorney Bubba Bramlett.  The trial began on Aug. 9.

“It's over,” Bramlett said simply, noting that it was probably the oldest case they had working at the time.

The state did not seek the death penalty.

This was the third time Archie had stood trial for murder in relation to the incident. The previous two trials in 2017 and 2019 were declared mistrials.

The incident in question involved Archie and an accomplice, Undra Ward, in the murder of 68-year-old Party City Manager Bobby Adams in what law enforcement say was an inside robbery job Oct. 26, 2012.

Archie was a former Party City employee and is charged with murdering Adams on Oct. 26, 2012. Adams was closing the store he managed for 20 years that night when Archie allegedly burst through an unlocked back door. Officials say Adams attempted to grab the gun from Archie and was shot and killed in the process. 

Archie then allegedly entered the store wearing a ski mask and gloves and demanded another employee, Undra Ward, to place money into a book bag, but he was in on the deal.

Ward, 27, has already pleaded guilty in exchange for 45 years.