The prosecutor also said Tellis' alibi was fabricated. Unspeakable Crime: The Killing of Jessica Chambers, In the October 2017 trial against Quinton Tellis, no verdict was reached. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. There has got to be something they can do. Chambers was found walking on the road wearing only underwear in 40 degree temperatures when a passing motorist spotted her shortly after 8 p.m., Champion said. Eric, said the 19-year-old, who did not give a last name or answer to other questions. He also said they found a lighter that was so rusty it could not be sent to the crime lab, and a cigarette butt that they thought belonged to a firefighter. 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. Legal Expert Weighs In, Quinton Simon's Mother Allegedly Beat Toddler to Death with 'Object' After Using Drugs: Prosecutors, N.J. WebChambers, a former high school cheerleader, was wearing nothing but underwear when she was found along a rural Mississippi road next to her burning vehicle. About 20,000 telephone numbers were analyzed in the investigation. The defense argued that since Jessica Chambers said the crime had been committed by an Eric or Derrick, it couldn't have been committed by Tellis. 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. 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. "She said 'Eric set me on fire,'" Palmer said. "Horrific burns," Champion said. And there were new witnesses, including a speech expert. 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. She said Tellis was buying a pre-paid debit card miles away in Batesville at the time Chambers was burned. I mean, hes as dangerous a criminal as Ive ever dealt with, Champion said, reports Jackson, Mississippi, TV news station WLBT. Authorities also located phone records that, they alleged, placed the pair together at the approximate time of Chambers attack with Tellis DNA on her car keys. Some commenters have pointed out that Jessica's murder stoked racial divides in the town. Neither convicted nor cleared, the suspect, Quinton Tellis, now sits in jail awaiting trial for an unrelated murder in neighboring Louisiana. "Horrific burns," Champion said. Tellis then drove Chambers' car with her inside it to the back road, ran to his sister's house nearby, jumped in his sisters' car, stopped to pick up gasoline from a shed at his house and torched Chambers' car and her, Champion said. Her car keys were later found nearby, and they had Tellis' DNA on them, Champion said. After wrapping a blanket around her, Haley walked Chambers to the back of his fire truck. She was small, weighing "90 pounds on a good day," her mother once said. Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. While her keys were missing the night Jessica Chambers was found near her burning car, they would later be found down the route, a few hundred yards away from the crime scene, also on Herron Road. On the witness stand, he backtracked, saying he was in a daze when he made his initial report. His wife then ran down the street to tell Chambers' mother what had happened and they were all at the hospital in Memphis when she died. But while Chambers family hopes that a third trial in the Chambers case may yet deliver the justice they seek, the Mississippi prosecutor, John Champion, tells PEOPLE that hes not rushing forward. Champion said he believes Tellis suffocated Chambers and thought he had killed her. Tellis was indicted in February 2016 in connection with Chambers' death as hesat in Ouachita Parish Jail in Monroe, La. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! Discovery, Inc. (Screenshot from ID's "Jessica Chambers: An ID Murder Mystery"). Chambers then picked up Tellis about 5:30 p.m. and they went to a fast food restaurant, Champion said. Jessica was full of life and Jessica was stubborn as a mule, her mom LisaChambers said. Investigators interviewed just about anyone who could've been in contact with Jessica. Palmer told jurors that Tellis never confessed to the killing. Prosecutor John Champion, left, alleged Tells may have set Chambers and her car on fire after mistakenly believing he had suffocated her. The trial in Batesville, Miss., about 50 miles south of Memphis, is the focus of tight security. This is beyond murder, Jessicas father said then. WebForensic pathologist Dr.Erin Barnhart told jurors that Jessica Chambers died from smoke and soot inhalation and thermal heat exposure. WebJessica Chambers was just 19 when she was burned alive. BATESVILLE, Miss. Chambers had burns on about 93 percent of her body when she was found. Legal Statement. School was no longer a priority for her and she found a new group of friends. 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. Security is tight - the jury is being sequestered and spectators are being screened through metal detectors before entering the courtroom. 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 Quinton Tellis was tried twice for her murder, each ending in a mistrial with a hung jury. He said Tellis repeatedly lied to investigators about spending time with her in the hours before she was found. The shocking mystery of the death of Jessica Chambers, the Mississippi teenager who was found by first responders on a highway with burns on more than 93 percent of her body on December 6, 2014, is about to be revisited in a trial this September and during Oxygens Unspeakable Crime: The Killing of Jessica Chambers on September 15 at 7/6c. "I understand the indecision because its a reflection of the community," Karas said. By clicking Sign Up, I confirmthat I have read and agreeto the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. Smoking weed was first priority to them, her stepmom recalled. She died the next day. Winfield said Chambers would be upset if she knew how racially dividedthe town became after her murder. He also said that he saw a suspicious person in the area. Prosecutors later claimed that it contained evidence showing that Chambers had repeatedly refused Tellis for sex over texts. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more. Real Name: Jessica Lane Chambers Nicknames: No known nicknames Location: Courtland, Mississippi Date: December 6, 2014 Case Details: At 8:10pm on December 6, 2014, nineteen-year-old Jessica Chambers was found burning next to her car which was also on fire. Yet the apparent disconnect over the name loomed large after Tellis was charged with her murder. "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. Jessica's mother, Lisa, called to check on her after the 19-year-old had been gone for two hours. Tellis previously told investigators that he had been with Jessica Chambers for part of the night she died, authorities said. Haley told the seven-man, five-woman jury that he knew Chambers before that night, but the two were not friends. Ben Chambers said that according to police, a passerby discovered the girl not far from her vehicle, which had been set ablaze. 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 Photo: Hollis Bennett. "I was face to face with her, and you could barely understand her," he said. Tellis was also indicted in May 2019 in Monroe, Louisiana, in the death of a University of Louisiana Monroe college exchange student in July 2015. She had burns over 98 percent of her body. Champion saidTellis and Jessica Chambers had sex in the passenger seat of her car, then Tellis smothered her and set her caron fire. WebJessica Chambers killing: Photos from case Photos: A look back at the Jessica Chambers case 80 PHOTOS More Stories Kingston Frazier murder: Court upholds When authorities accused Tellis of Jessicas murder in 2016, they discovered him already in jail charged with the unlawful use of a credit card belonging to a college student who was stabbed to death in Louisiana in August 2015. She didnt want nobody telling her what she could and could not do., She was labeled a girlfriend of a gang member, There was speculation that Chamberssocialized with,and dated, gang members, according to the docu-series Unspeakable Crime: The Killing of Jessica Chambers.. Tragically, she died the next day of her injuries. For more on this heartbreaking case, stream Jessica Chambers: An ID Murder Mystery on discovery+ now. The horrific circumstances surrounding the former high school cheerleader's death garnered national attention. The Associated Press contributed to this report. But 14 months after a petite blonde former high school cheerleader was intentionally set on fire on the night of Dec. 6, 2014, and died within hours from her horrific injuries, the stubborn mystery that had everyone talking still had no answers. The trial ended in a hung jury, as did a second attempt to convict Tellis in 2018. 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.. All she could say was that she felt cold. The Bizarre Case Of The Jessica Chambers Murder. All rights reserved. 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. ". They also considered that maybe Chambers and gotten herself in trouble with a local gang. Shes never seen a color in a person.Chambers had black friends and black boyfriends, including boyfriend Travis Sanford who was incarcerated at the time of Chambers killing. Theres no word yet if hell be tried a third time in Chambers murder. But in her last moments, Chambers was able to name someone, as belabored as her speech may have been. Over time the attention from the media started to trail off, the story had captured the attention of internet sleuths around the world. According to Investigation Discovery, Investigators have mapped out the first hour after Chambers left home, but much of that night and what happened leading up to Chambers' death is unknown. On December 6, 2014, first responders in Courtland, Mississippi received a call about a vehicle fire. Famously, first responders remembered a badly burned Jessica Chambers walking toward them asking for help. , still has some crucial bits of evidence that may prove useful in the upcoming retrial: I was face to face with her, and you could barely understand her, said Haley, according to the, Her face was fried out like she had stuck it in a light socket. This piece of information obviously helped Quentin Tellis' case, since defense attorneys pointed out that she knew Quentin's name. They also argued that Tellis deleted all of his messages with Chambers after she died. Im just going to wait and see what happens in Louisiana, he says. By all accounts, Chambers suffered an agonizing death: Firefighters responding to a report of a torched car saw her walking toward them, wearing only her underwear and critically burned over 93 percent of her body. Champion said Tellis first told investigators he only saw Chambers on the morning of her death. on September 15 at 7/6c to learn more about the case. One of the most debated aspects of the Jessica Chambers case is what happened between Chambers leaving home and her murder. Tellis' trial began in Batesville, Mississippi, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of Memphis, Tennessee. 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. Don't know what in the world came over me, Christopher P. Stokes told a Wisconsin court. Despite a suspect going to trial twice there hasn't been a conviction in the case and it remains officially unsolved. In the October 2017 trial against Quinton Tellis, no verdict was reached. In these cases, she says, experts have told her that the location of the cell phone can only be narrowed down to an "around two to 10 or 20 square mile area.". Palmer also said eight first responders who treated Chambers asked her if she knew who did it. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. The Panola County Sheriffs Lt. Edward Dickson confirmed in his testimony that he found a phone belonging to Chambers, and some burned clothing. This undated photograph released by the families of Jessica Chambers and her sister Amanda Prince, shows Jessica Chambers taken in Courtland, Miss. "Her hair was fried like it had been stuck in a light socket. "The prosecution has given notice of a speech pathologist," she said, who could potentially testify to the effects of severe burns on speech. WREG provided this photo of Jessica Chambers, a 19-year-old who burned to death in Mississippi Saturday, Dec. 6, 2014. So its very important that either Louisiana get him convicted or we get him convicted., He tells PEOPLE: I just left it with them that we would meet after the Louisiana trial., The Twists & Turns After 19-Year-Old Was Burned to Death: What to Know About Murder of Jessica Chambers, Second Mistrial Declared in Ex-Cheerleaders Murder as Suspect Now Faces Trial in Another Death, Cold Cases Heat Up: How Advances in DNA Technology Are Helping to Bring Justice for Victims, Suspect in Death of Pregnant Mom Found Next to Car with Son Inside Was Recently Acquitted of Unrelated Murder, Man Charged in Rape of Slain LSU Student Madison Brooks Faces New Rape Charge in Separate Case, Will Bryan Kohberger Face Death Penalty if Convicted of Idaho Murders? "He insisted this is not something he would do," Palmer said. Man indicted in teen's fiery 2014 death still awaiting trial, Suspect pleads not guilty in fiery death of 19-year-old woman, Suspect in torching death of Miss. The blaze that engulfed her was so hot, it turned her black Kia Rio white, incinerated her clothes and blinded her. Authorities also located phone records that, they alleged, placed the pair together at the approximate time of Chambers attack with Tellis DNA on her car keys. They discovered his requests and her rejections in emails he had deleted. "She had her arms out, saying, 'Help me, help me, help me,' " Haley testified Tuesday, wiping away tears. A lawyer on Tellis' defense team, Darla Palmer, is using Haley's initial statement as a foundation of her client's defense. Jessica Chambers' murder drew a substantial amount of media coverage, especially in the days after it occurred. Tellis has pleaded not guilty to Hsiaos murder, just as he and his defense attorney maintained his innocence through the two Chambers trials. Who was this mysterious person? But Karas said that for her, the murder is most memorable due to the horrific nature of the crime. Palmer told jurors that Tellis never confessed to the killing. But circumstantial evidence links him to the crime: He was caught using Hsaio's debit cards after her murder, and police have obtained cell phone and ATM data that they say places him at the scene. August 2015:Jessica Chambers' father: 'We're near the end' February 2015:Authorities release more details on burned teen's last day. Theformer chief of the Courtland Volunteer Fire Department said his first reaction was to get a blanketto wrap around Chambers to help "conceal her.". Her car keys were later found nearby, and they had Tellis' DNA on them, Champion said. Witnesses will include cellphone data experts, Champion said. Another troubling point for the defense is the fact that Tellis deleted all the texts and calls between he and Chambers after her death. According to Buzzfeed, Chambers' father's job at the Sheriff's department meant that he was notified. Market data provided by Factset. But, at around the age of16, she stopped wanting to be a cheerleader. This story was originally published on Dec. 22, 2015. Palmer also said eight first responders who treated Chambers asked her if she knew who did it. Yeah. Mieke Oorts alleged killer used a GPS tracking device to stalk her and would drive up and down the road where she lived to intimidate her. 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.. Will Turner, another firefighter, said that. She could be stubborn.. Contributing: Ron Maxey, The (Memphis) Commercial Appeal; Therese, Apel, The (Jackson, Miss.) Investigators found burned items at the crime scene, including parts of a cell phone. 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. Jessica was just a joy., Her friend Taylor Eggleston said that people loved to be around her because she did the "craziest things," according to "Unspeakable Crime: The Killing Jessica Chambers.". OXFORD, Miss A funeralwas held Tuesday for the mother of Jessica Chambers, Lisa Lynne Chambers, who died over the weekend. No trial date has been set in that case. Tellis was put on trial in 2017. Her body was severely burned, said Haley in his testimony during the trial in 2017. Authorities have said previously that Chambers was on fire when she was found. 2023 Warner Bros. I will leave no stone unturned in my pursuit of truth, Ashley Henley wrote on social media weeks before she was fatally shot. We dont have a lot of haves and have-nots here, Rupert Howell, then the managing editor of rural Panola Countys family-owned newspaper, The Panolian, told PEOPLE in 2016. Her father, Ben Chambers,said she was a flyer who was thrown up in the air during stunts. Chambers sister AJ Prince said that his death affected her sister deeply. The teenager, who The defense team has questioned Rowlett about the accuracy of the data. She died a short time later at the hospital. And she had black all over her face. Erin Barnhart said Chambers was burned over most of her body except her groin, buttocks, back of upper thighs, and bottoms of her feet. Haley and two other firefighters had responded to a truck driver's call about a car fire Dec. 6, 2014, on Herron Road just outside Courtland, Miss. WebThis is seen as another effort by prosecutors to dismantle the damaging evidence that Jessica may have identified her killer as someone named Eric, and not Quinton Tellis. This photo, provided by Fox affiliate WHBQ, shows 19-year-old Jessica Chambers of Panola County, Miss. Champion said she could have been saying "Tellis," but the damage done to her throat made it sound different. These affidavits name Tellis as her accused killer. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! He said Tellis repeatedly lied to investigators about spending time with her in the hours before she was found. 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 face was black, and her body was severely burned.". Man Convicted of Stalking and Killing His Ex-Girlfriend's Boyfriend Who Went Missing in 2020, How Robert Blake's Daughter Grew Up Trying to Come to Terms with Her Mom's Murder, Everything to Know About the Murdaugh Family Murders, Including Alex's Conviction, A Timeline of Adnan Syed's Case, Conviction and Release from Prison and What's Next for 'Serial' Subject, WATCH: Alex Murdaugh Is Led Out of Courthouse in Jumpsuit and Handcuffs Following Sentencing, Cold Cases Heat Up: How Advances in DNA Technology Are Helping to Bring Justice for Victims, Instagram Model Accused of Stabbing Sleeping Dad Was Allegedly Enraged by Argument Over Laptop, Will Bryan Kohberger Face Death Penalty if Convicted of Idaho Murders? Haley in his testimony during the trial in 2017. Photo by: Warner Bros. This is breaking my heart. Jessica Chambers died at Regional One Health-Memphis where she had been airlifted about four hours after being lit afire. A former cheerleader, Chambers had ambitions of becoming a nurse. teen sent back from Louisiana, Suspect indicted in Jessica Chambers burning death, Jessica Chambers' father: 'We're near the end', Authorities release more details on burned teen's last day, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. He continues to maintain his innocence. Scan this QR code to download the app now. "Horrific pain.". Despite suffering from smoke inhalation and having been severely burned on almost her entire body, Chambers managed to escape. Authorities 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 called 911. Prosecutor John Champion told jurors that they will see graphic photos of a burned Chambers and they will hear from about 35 witnesses. A criminal indictment announced on Feb. 23, 2016, appeared to crack the case, according to law enforcement, and offered a theory that would not be fully aired until a trial last fall. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. When she was cheering, she knew she looked good, Berdain told PEOPLE for a 2016 cover story. However, that didn't matter online, where some amateur investigators remained convinced that he still had something to do with the crime. One of Chamber's ex-boyfriends, Bryan Rudd, was ruled out as a suspect by investigators early on in the investigation as he had been living in Iowa at the time, a move he had made to get out of Courtland after Chambers broke up with him. He was contacted the night Chambers was burned and said she had third-degree burns over 90 percent of her body. Chambers was found walking on the road - wearing only underwear in 40 degree temperatures - when a passing motorist spotted her shortly after 8 p.m., Champion said. Archived post. This undated photograph released by the families of Jessica Chambers and her sister Amanda Prince, shows Jessica Chambers taken in Courtland, Miss. However, Jessicas friends, and some family WebJessica Chambers suffered an agonizing death: Firefighters saw her walking toward them, wearing only her underwear & burned over 93 percent of her body.