12-11-2014, 03:29 PM
Hard to tell what's fact vs. rumor vs. speculation in this case. Jessica's father has been the main source of information thus far, rather than LE.
Here's an update published today -- it contains some information directly from LE.
Snip:
Mystery surrounds the fiery weekend death of Jessica Chambers, but the Mississippi teen may have given firefighters a clue in her killing, a prosecutor said Wednesday.
John Champion, district attorney for Mississippi’s 17th Circuit, said that when firefighters arrived at the scene near Courtland, Mississippi, Chambers approached one of them and spoke. She was not on fire, as has been widely reported, the prosecutor said.
Champion didn’t divulge what she said but told CNN, “It has certainly given us a lead we’re following up on.”
Though authorities are releasing sparse details of the crime and investigation, they have determined an accelerant was used in the blaze, but it’s not clear whether the accelerant was poured on the car or Chambers herself, Champion said.
Jessica's sister, Amanda Prince, said she was told the attacker had gotten into the car and set Chambers on fire inside the vehicle.
Peter Odom, an attorney who prosecuted some arson cases, told HLN’s “Nancy Grace” that investigators are looking for something in particular when they interview people involved in the case. “They’re looking for someone with singed eyebrows and maybe burned hands. Because the burner often gets burned,” he said.
Investigators believe her phone will be “the key to everything,” the prosecutor said. She received a call before she left her house, he said.
Despite reports she was going to a party, her appearance — her hair was in a bun and she was wearing camouflage pajama pants — suggests that wasn’t the case, Champion said. Police have also spoken to partygoers, who don’t recall seeing her there, he said.
Amanda Prince said her sister Jessica called their mother from a gas station and said she would be home right after she cleaned her car.
The prosecutor also said investigators found no evidence in a store surveillance video that appears to show Chambers prepaying for gas.
The business, which Champion characterized as a rural mom-and-pop store, is about 2 miles from Chambers’ home. She purchased something to drink there, the prosecutor said.
The clerk who helped her said nothing seemed out of sorts. “She seemed normal,” Ali Alsanai told CNN affiliate WREG. “She didn’t seem like something was going wrong, you know? She just seemed normal. She just pumped some gas, we had a talk, and she left.”
http://ktla.com/2014/12/11/mississippi-t...illed-her/
Here's an update published today -- it contains some information directly from LE.
Snip:
Mystery surrounds the fiery weekend death of Jessica Chambers, but the Mississippi teen may have given firefighters a clue in her killing, a prosecutor said Wednesday.
John Champion, district attorney for Mississippi’s 17th Circuit, said that when firefighters arrived at the scene near Courtland, Mississippi, Chambers approached one of them and spoke. She was not on fire, as has been widely reported, the prosecutor said.
Champion didn’t divulge what she said but told CNN, “It has certainly given us a lead we’re following up on.”
Though authorities are releasing sparse details of the crime and investigation, they have determined an accelerant was used in the blaze, but it’s not clear whether the accelerant was poured on the car or Chambers herself, Champion said.
Jessica's sister, Amanda Prince, said she was told the attacker had gotten into the car and set Chambers on fire inside the vehicle.
Peter Odom, an attorney who prosecuted some arson cases, told HLN’s “Nancy Grace” that investigators are looking for something in particular when they interview people involved in the case. “They’re looking for someone with singed eyebrows and maybe burned hands. Because the burner often gets burned,” he said.
Investigators believe her phone will be “the key to everything,” the prosecutor said. She received a call before she left her house, he said.
Despite reports she was going to a party, her appearance — her hair was in a bun and she was wearing camouflage pajama pants — suggests that wasn’t the case, Champion said. Police have also spoken to partygoers, who don’t recall seeing her there, he said.
Amanda Prince said her sister Jessica called their mother from a gas station and said she would be home right after she cleaned her car.
The prosecutor also said investigators found no evidence in a store surveillance video that appears to show Chambers prepaying for gas.
The business, which Champion characterized as a rural mom-and-pop store, is about 2 miles from Chambers’ home. She purchased something to drink there, the prosecutor said.
The clerk who helped her said nothing seemed out of sorts. “She seemed normal,” Ali Alsanai told CNN affiliate WREG. “She didn’t seem like something was going wrong, you know? She just seemed normal. She just pumped some gas, we had a talk, and she left.”
http://ktla.com/2014/12/11/mississippi-t...illed-her/