The horrific circumstances surrounding the former high school cheerleader's death garnered national attention. The man accused of killing 19-year-old Jessica Chambers burned her alive in her car after he mistakenly thought he had suffocated her, the prosecution alleged in its opening statement Tuesday. The defense claims that Chambers told firefighters that she was set on fire by a man named Eric, not by Tellis. r/CrimeScene is a friendly community for people who are interested in discussing and sharing crime scene photos and information related to them. Discovery, Inc. (Screenshot from ID's "Jessica Chambers: An ID Murder Mystery"), Warner Bros. However, Jessicas friends, and some family One responder said it could have been Derrick, but most heard Eric. Im just going to wait and see what happens in Louisiana, he says. Haley told the seven-man, five-woman jury that he knew Chambers before that night, but the two were not friends. Her mother Lisa said inOxygen'supcoming docu-seriesUnspeakable Crime: The Killing of Jessica Chambers,that when she thinks of her daughter she thinks of her blue eyes. But in her last moments, Chambers was able to name someone, as belabored as her speech may have been. Her body was severely burned,. Some commenters have pointed out that Jessica's murder stoked racial divides in the town. In October 2017, Jessica Chambers accused killer, Mississippi, with burns covering 98 percent of her body. "Horrific burns," Champion said. Jessica Chambers' murder drew a substantial amount of media coverage, especially in the days after it occurred. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. I was face to face with her, and you could barely understand her, said Haley, according to the New York Daily News. Jessica Chambers killing: Photos from case - The Clarion-Ledger "She didn't say any other name.". Jessica Chambers Investigators found burned items at the crime scene, including parts of a cell phone. A former cheerleader, Chambers had ambitions of becoming a nurse. This is breaking my heart. If Jessica had indeed named her assailant as Tellis defense attorney, Darla Palmer, argued in court that Jessica had done then Tellis could not have been involved, since no one knew Tellis as Eric or Derek.. 2023 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. Police found her walking on the side of a rural road near her burning car around 8 p.m. on December 6, 2014. I mean, hes as dangerous a criminal as Ive ever dealt with, Champion said, reports Jackson, Mississippi, TV news station WLBT. Eric, said the 19-year-old, who did not give a last name or answer to other questions. Prosecutor John Champion, left, alleged Tells may have set Chambers and her car on fire after mistakenly believing he had suffocated her. First one jury, then a second, failed to reach a verdict on whether an accused man splashed fuel on Jessica Chambers and caused the 19-year-old former high school cheerleader to die by setting her on fire on a rural Mississippi road in 2014. "He insisted this is not something he would do," Palmer said. Jessica Chambers, burned alive inside her own car At one time she wanted to be a book writer. But, her most consistent aspiration was to become a registered nurse,her mother said. In his opening statement, Champion acknowledged that the first responders did hear her say the name "Eric" or "Derek." Tellis previously told investigators that he had been with Jessica Chambers for part of the night she died, authorities said. According to Investigation Discovery, in 2019, Tellis was charged with a completely unrelated 2015 murder of University of Louisiana-Monroe graduate student Meing-Chen Hsaio. Ben Chambers said that according to police, a passerby discovered the girl not far from her vehicle, which had been set ablaze. Early on in the docu-series, Laquntas touching interview about her shared childhood with Quinton shocked viewers when they saw she had an Eric tattoo on her hand, which was starkly visible in the show. She was inside her car when itwas doused with an accelerant and set ablaze, but somehow she managed to escape. Police believe that the 34-year-old had been tortured and stabbed more than 30 times, according to KNOE-TV, in order to force her to reveal the PIN code to her debit card. A lawyer on Tellis' defense team, Darla Palmer, is using Haley's initial statement as a foundation of her client's defense. Who Was Jessica Chambers, The Cheerleader Burned Alive in According to Buzzfeed, Chambers lived with her mother, across the street from her grandmother, and her father and stepmother lived just down the street. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Prosecutor John Champion, left, alleged Tells may have set Chambers and her car on fire after mistakenly believing he had suffocated her. Tellis' trial began in Batesville, Mississippi, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of Memphis, Tennessee. The tragic death of 19-year-old Jessica Chambers has been a topic of discussion across the nation after the teen was found ablaze near her vehicle. They know who killed her prove it., Asked why he thought prosecutors failed to win a conviction in two previous efforts, Champion tells PEOPLE: I never speculate on why they do what they do.. On December 6, 2014, a 19-year-old cheerleader named Jessica Chambers was set on fire in the small town of Courtland, Mississippi. The video shows Chambers pumping gas, then as she walks toward the convenience store, she waves to someone off-camera, then walks over to them. The first firefighters arriving on the scene saw Chambers' car on fire and noted that while there was an inferno raging inside the car, the trunk and engine compartment didn't seem to have as much damage to them (via Clarion Ledger). The defense team has questioned Rowlett about the accuracy of the data. According to Buzzfeed, Chambers' father's job at the Sheriff's department meant that he was notified. A key piece of evidence in the case occurred when at least eight first responders testified that Chambers claimed a man named Eric or Derrick had set her on fire. For those that have followed us.. There has got to be something they can do. Because of worries that Tellis a black man eight years older than the white, teenaged Chambers would not receive a fair trial amid all the publicity in the unsettling case, the jury was selected more than 200 miles south in Pike County, Miss., and transported Monday night to Batesville. May 2016:Suspect in torching death of Miss. But we looked at her activities and everything that was going on and it just didnt go that way at all. Champion didnt suspectgang activity was to blame for Chambers death. Chambers then picked up Tellis at about 5:30 p.m. and they went to a fast food restaurant, Champion said. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Her stepmother Debbie Chambers said that his untimely death was a catalyst for Chambers changing her social scene. of Jessica Chambers They even explored the possibility that her boyfriend who was in prison at the time of the murder had ordered a hit on her. "She didn't say any other name.". "She kept asking for water. Jessica Chambers case: Teen burned alive named killer before After two juries failed to reach a verdict, Jessica Chambers' accused killer now awaits trial on an unrelated murder charge in another state. Discovery, Inc. or its subsidiaries and affiliates. Legal Statement. BATESVILLE, Miss. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. or redistributed. Mom Convicted of Murdering Toddler Because He Was 'Obstacle' to Her Extramarital Affair, Man Wrongfully Convicted of New Orleans Rape Freed After 36 Years in Jail, Emmett Till Was Lynched, and His Family Was Denied Justice: All About the Murder that Shocked the Nation, Man Found Guilty of 1982 Ax Murder of His Wife After the Case Went Unsolved for Nearly 40 Years. Daniel Cole, director of Panola County (MS) Emergency Operations, read part of his report out, that said he saw a suspicious person an older black male noting the tag number.. Critical Pieces Of Evidence Found At Jessica Chambers Crime Scene Prosecutors describe Jessica Chambers' gruesome burning death The shocking, fiery murder of a former cheerleader is about to be re-litigated in court. Clarion-Ledger; Ashley Mott,The (Monroe, La.) They told us she was like the waking dead, her mother, Lisa Chambers, told PEOPLE in 2016. WebJessica Chambers, 19, was burned alive. WebJessica Chambers AP Photo/Chambers-Prince Families Citing statements Tellis made to investigators, Champion said Tellis and Chambers had sex in her car the evening she "The trail was going cold in Mississippi when he got locked up in Louisiana," she said, adding that Mississippi investigators got a break when Louisiana police called and notified them that they had someone in custody from their county. Memphis woman asks for community help after incident with MPD, Memphis police searching for suspect of shooting in South Memphis, Sunny & breezy weather expected again Tuesday, Memphis area seeing an increase in days with the possibility of tornadoes, study finds, Quinton Tellis was tried twice for her murder, Boyfriend Of Jessica Chambers Found Shot To Death Friday Morning, Grand Jury To Consider Charges In Quinton Tellis Murder Case In Louisiana. Jerry King testified that he found the keys in a ditch near his house two days after the death of Chambers, attached to a pink string and a Chambers auto repair tag. In his opening statement, Champion acknowledged that the first responders did hear her say the name "Eric" or "Derek." Champion saidTellis and Jessica Chambers had sex in the passenger seat of her car, then Tellis smothered her and set her caron fire. Jessica Chambers suffered an agonizing death: Firefighters saw her walking toward them, wearing only her underwear & burned over 93 percent of her body. Unspeakable Crime: The Killing of Jessica Chambers, In the October 2017 trial against Quinton Tellis, no verdict was reached. Many things have happened since that mistrial, but the crime scene, described as chaotica madhouse, still has some crucial bits of evidence that may prove useful in the upcoming retrial: Perhaps surprisingly, the murder victim was able to provide substantial evidence in her last moments alive. Her face was fried out like she had stuck it in a light socket. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! In Palmer's opening statement Tuesday, she said at least eight first responders in the trial expected to last two weeks will testify that Chambers said someone named Eric had set her on fire. Tellis faces another murder indictment in Louisiana, where he's accused in the torture death of Meing-Chen Hsiao, a 34-year-old Taiwanese graduate student at the University of Louisiana at Monroe. "It was a terrible crime. According to Buzzfeed, Jessica left home at 5 p.m. on the night of the murder, telling her mother that she was going to make a trip to a gas station nearby. In Louisiana, Tellis also had been charged withone count of possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, a charge he pleaded guilty to in May 2016. August 2015:Jessica Chambers' father: 'We're near the end' February 2015:Authorities release more details on burned teen's last day. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. Despite a suspect going to trial twice there hasn't been a conviction in the case and it remains officially unsolved. They even wrote to his mother asking for answers, "Bryan can't take this anymore," she told Buzzfeed. Investigators interviewed just about anyone who could've been in contact with Jessica. Armchair detectives took to social media and sleuthed various "suspects" in the town. Karas notes that Hsaio's murder investigation in Louisiana originally led Mississippi detectives to Tellis. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Discovery, Inc. (Screenshot from ID's "Jessica Chambers: An ID Murder Mystery"). Jessica herself had expressed concerns involving her friends to her father, who worked as a mechanic for the county sheriffs office. (Quinton Tellis, left, is accused of burning 19-year-old Jessica Chambers alive in her car.). Photo by: Warner Bros. The horrific circumstances surrounding the former high school cheerleader's death garnered national attention. "He insisted this is not something he would do," Palmer said. Palmer also said eight first responders who treated Chambers asked her if she knew who did it. Jessica Chambers The trial is happening in the Panola County seat here less than 10 miles from the scene of the crime. WREG provided this photo of Jessica Chambers, a 19-year-old who burned to death in Mississippi Saturday, Dec. 6, 2014. Her father, Ben About 20,000 telephone numbers were analyzed in the investigation. She said Tellis was buying a pre-paid debit card miles away in Batesville at the time Chambers was burned. Champion said Tellis first told investigators he only saw Chambers on the morning of her death. All rights reserved. Although Chambers had graduated from high school with all As and Bs and recently had started a new job selling clothes at a Goodys department store in nearby Batesville, she nonetheless ran with a rough crowd before her death. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. They also argued that Tellis deleted all of his messages with Chambers after she died. "Even after seeing all of the evidence, people remain unconvinced.". But Karas said that for her, the murder is most memorable due to the horrific nature of the crime. And there were new witnesses, including a speech expert. And when they threw her up, she was so light you just about had enough time to go get you a hot dog before shed come back down.. Prosecutors later claimed that it contained evidence showing that Chambers had repeatedly refused Tellis for sex over texts. Will There Finally Be Justice For Megan McDonald? Her car keys were later found nearby, and they had Tellis' DNA on them, Champion said. He asked her name and she responded "Jessica Tambers." Prosecutors believe that Tellis intentionally went to the store after Chambers' attack, creating an alibi for himself. Web Three years after a 19-year-old woman was burned alive on a road in rural Mississippi about 60 miles south of Memphis, a man that she reportedly had a relationship with is Jessica Chambers grew up in Courtland, Mississippi, a town with a population of 526, per World Population Review. that she sold marijuana and dated a gang member surged in the aftermath of her death, when Chambers life became subject to just as much intense scrutiny as the mystery of her death, which occurred at a hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, an hour or so away from Courtland. All posts must contain accurate, unbiased information and adhere to the rules found below. By clicking Sign Up, I confirmthat I have read and agreeto the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. Jurors in the upcoming trial for Chambers murder could potentially be influenced by evidence from the Hsiao case, but Karas pointed out that none of the evidence from Hsaio's case will be admissible. Her body was severely burned, said Haley in his testimony during the trial in 2017. Tellis later acknowledged they were together in the evening, saying he met her to sell her marijuana and had sex with her in her car, Champion said. WebProsecutor John Champion told jurors that they will see graphic photos of a burned Chambers and they will hear from about 35 witnesses. Yeah. Prosecutors argued at trial that Tellis strangled Jessica after they eventually did have sex, and then he set the blaze believing she was already dead. The last six weeks before she died, she told me 10 or 15 times, Everybody thinks Im snitching because you work for the police, her father told PEOPLE. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! According to the obituary, Lisa Chambers leaves behind three siblings, two children, and three grandchildren. According to the plea deal outlined in court, Tellis admitted to using Hsiaos debit card without authorization to withdraw at least $1,000. February:Man indicted in teen's fiery 2014 death still awaiting trial July 2016:Suspect pleads not guilty in fiery death of 19-year-old woman, He saw Chambers in the middle of the road, clothed in her underwear and no bra. The trial ended in a hung jury, as did a second attempt to convict Tellis in 2018. At one time she wanted to be a teacher, her mother said. Archived post. All rights reserved. Jessica Chambers update: Shock twist in Quinton Tellis' trial for She died the next day. 5 Key Facts About The Jessica Chambers Murder Case, American College Student In The Netherlands Stalked And Killed By Man She Met On Tinder, I Deserve To Be Locked Up: Man Gets 205-Year Sentence For Murdering 5 Family Members, New True Crime Special 'Michelle Carter: Love, Texts & Death' Explores How Texts Can Have Dire Consequences, Man Convicted Of Murder At Age 15 Insists Hes Innocent, Seeks New Trial, Ex-Policeman Who Became Crisis Worker Accused Of Raping Runaway Teen, Ex-Lawmaker Who Believed Sister-In-Law Was Murdered Killed At Same Site Six Months Later, Freckle-Faced Killer Who Was 13 When He Murdered 4-Year-Old Boy in 1993 Granted Parole, The Hate-Fueled Murder Of 12-Year-Old Shanda Sharer, Florida Teen Sentenced To Life For Murder Of 13-Year-Old Classmate Stabbed 114 Times, True Crime News Roundup: Virginia Corrections Employee Allegedly Killed His Pregnant Girlfriend, the man accused of killing her, Quinton Tellis, white female victims in general tend to get more attention from the public, the entire internet was trying to answer the question, claimed that phone data put Chambers and Tellis together at the same location, Lululemon Murder: Store Employee Suffered Over 300 Blows, Severed Spinal Cord In Fatal Attack. Jessica Chambers WebAuthorities said Chambers was soaked in fuel in her car on a rural road, set on fire and then stumbled through a roadside ditch before she was spotted by a passing motorist who He was contacted the night Chambers was burned and said she had third-degree burns over 90 percent of her body. The prosecution countered that Chambers' condition would've made talking difficult, if not impossible. Jessica Chambers died at Regional One Health-Memphis where she had been airlifted about four hours after being lit afire. Meing-Chen Hsaio [Monroe Police Department]. Her face was black, and her body was severely burned.". WebShe had burns over 98 percent of her body. However, according to Buzzfeed, the case has attracted the attention of web sleuths who comb through social media looking for any clue that investigators may have missed and develop their own, oftentimes outlandish theories about who really killed Jessica Chambers. "I was face to face with her, and you could barely understand her," he said. Yet the apparent disconnect over the name loomed large after Tellis was charged with Jessicas murder and went to trial last October. The two-hour special streams on discovery+ and premieres on ID Tuesday, September 7 at 9/8c. Jessicas smile would just light up a room when she came in.. This is beyond murder, Jessicas father said then. Rumors that she sold marijuana and dated a gang member surged in the aftermath of her death, when Chambers life became subject to just as much intense scrutiny as the mystery of her death, which occurred at a hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, an hour or so away from Courtland. Watch Oxygens Unspeakable Crime: The Killing of Jessica Chambers on September 15 at 7/6c to learn more about the case. He also said that Tellis had repeatedly asked Chambers for sex, and she had told him no. While in high school,Jessicawas a cheerleader at her high school football games. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! His Mother Is in Jail on Murder Charge, Ex-Teacher Faces Murder Trial After Family of 3 Including Teen Son Are Shot, Stabbed in Calif. Home, stubborn mystery that had everyone talking. Her aunt Sherry Hall, described her as a blue-eyed cotton topped little girl. Her murder trial divided the tiny town of Courtland, Mississippi after Quinton Tellis, a black man, was arrested and accused of killing her. Did she know kids that were in the gangs? John Champion, District Attorney for Panola County said in the documentary series. Witnesses will include cellphone data experts, Champion said. . Evaristo Salas Jr. says that lies have kept him in prison and what happened in his case was easily swept under the rug.. "I understand the indecision because its a reflection of the community," Karas said. Police also had another tantalizing clue: Several first-responders reported hearing Jessica utter a name that sounded like Eric or Derek, possibly steering them toward her attacker. They also considered that maybe Chambers and gotten herself in trouble with a local gang. Pathologist details condition of Jessica Chambers body - WCBI-TV Three years after a 19-year-old woman was burned alive on a road in rural Mississippi about 60 miles south of Memphis, a man that she reportedly had a relationship with is facing the death penalty in connection with her killing. About 20,000 telephone numbers were analyzed in the investigation. Prosecutors describe Jessica Chambers' gruesome burning death Market data provided by Factset. While prosecutors argued that Tellis strangled Jessica after they had sex and then started the fire believing she was already dead, jurors failed to reach a verdict on his guilt or innocence. Chambers had burns on about 93 percent of her body when she was found along a rural back road on Dec. 6, 2014, the prosecutor said. The judge in the case declared a mistrial, opening the door for prosecutors to try Tellis a second time on the murder charge. If Chambers had indeed named her assailant as Tellis defense attorney, Darla Palmer, argued during his first trial then Tellis could not have been involved, since no one knew him as Eric or Derek.. Chambers sister AJ Prince said that his death affected her sister deeply. And where did the gasoline come from? Daniel Cole, director of Panola County (MS) Emergency Operations, read part of his report out while being cross-examined at trial that said he saw a suspicious person an older black male noting the tag number.. Her father, Ben Chambers,said she was a flyer who was thrown up in the air during stunts. Security is tight - the jury is being sequestered and spectators are being screened through metal detectors before entering the courtroom. Jessica Chambers Still, he added, She did nothing that was bad to get herself burnt alive., Chambers grandmother Willie Berdain recalled her as a beaming pixie atop her high school cheerleading squads pyramid at football games. All she could say was that she felt cold. After the mistrial, prosecutors immediately announced their intention to retry the case. Tellis defense attorney Darla Palmer accused district attorney John Champion of allegedly trying to pressure another clients of Palmer's, who is charged with capital murder in another case, to testify that Jessica Chambers used to refer to Quinton Tellis as Eric., According to an affidavit, Palmer accused Champion of numerous ethical violations, prosecutorial misconduct [and] potential criminal violations.. They quickly turned their attention toward the severely burned Chambers and she was transported by helicopter from the small, rural town in Mississippi where she died the next morning.

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