WHO KILLED JESSICA LANE CHAMBERS?

[HairOfTheDog]

Trial Underway



Quinton Tellis faces life in prison if convicted in the 19-year-old Jessica Chambers' death nearly three years ago in Courtland, Mississippi, but has maintained his innocence in the case.

Authorities have said about 20,000 telephone numbers were analyzed as part of the investigation. About 40 people are listed in court documents as potential witnesses in the trial, including representatives from two cellphone companies.

On Monday, a jury from Pike County in southwest Mississippi was officially seated. The jury — seven men and five women — was pulled from outside the area due to the massive pre-trial coverage of the case. Jury members will be sequestered in Batesville.

In December 2014, Chambers was discovered beside her burning car on a rural Panola County road with severe burns to 98 percent to her body. Authorities said Tellis doused Chambers and then set her on fire, leading to her death several hours later at a Memphis hospital.

[HairOfTheDog]

New Evidence/Details Revealed in Early Opening Statements

In opening statements today, D.A. Champion has already shed light on some long lingering questions.

- Jessica had hung out with Tellis and a mutual friend named Keisha Myers earlier on the day she was killed (Dec. 6, 2014) and the trio later parted ways.

- Jessica picked up Tellis around 5:30 p.m. that same night and could not get a hold of Keisha. Jessica and Tellis rode around together, went to Taco Bell, and both of their cell phones pinged just south of Tellis's house at 7:26 p.m.

- At or near 8:06 p.m., the authorities received a call reporting a car fire.

- When firefighters responded, they were shocked to find a girl in only panties with over 90% of her body burned by fire. :(

- Jessica tried to tell firefighters something; they thought she was trying to say "Eric or Derrick".

- Hospital staff had little hope Jessica would survive because she was so severely burned and injured.

- Investigators found part of Jessica's bra at the crime scene -- it had been doused with gasoline.

- Investigators found Tellis's DNA on Jessica's keys.

- After he was arrested, Tellis reportedly told investigators that he'd hung out with Jessica and had sex with her in her car with the seat reclined that day, but did not see her that night. Jessica's seat was reclined when she was found burned.

WREG Memphis is streaming the trial live. They also have reporter Shay Arthur tweeting updates live from the courtroom. Here are the links for both:
https://twitter.com/ShayA_WREG3?ref_src=...tuesday%2F
http://wreg.com/2017/10/10/opening-state...r-tuesday/

[BigMark]

Y'all racist, if dis was a white dude and a sista nobody care!

[HairOfTheDog]

Y'all racist, if dis was a white dude and a sista nobody care!

We cared long before we knew the race or gender of the perpetrator, you race-baiting pinhead. ')

[BigMark]

Shaddup cracka!

[Duchess]

So he had sex with her and then doused her with gas and lit her up. Oh God. Awful. So awful. I want to know why!

[SIXFOOTERsez]

Probably to cover up the evidence that he violently raped her

[HairOfTheDog]

According to the Prosecution, Tellis strangled Jessica during sex. When he discovered she was still alive, he went and got gasoline and used his sister's nearby car to go back and set Jessica and the car on fire.

I wouldn't be surprised if Six is right and he raped Jessica. But, it doesn't matter whether they had consensual sex or it was forced (in terms of the murder charge).

Tellis tossed Jessica's keys on the road not far from the crime scene, according to the Prosecution. Hopefully, the DNA LE says they found on her keys is solid. But, even if it is, the Defense will likely claim that he touched her keys which doesn't make him a killer. I think a jury will see through that when considering his cell phone pinged with Jessica's just before her car was reported on fire (along with all the other circumstantial evidence against Tellis).

Story: http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/trial...n-50384937

(Edit 10/12: the Prosecution contends that Tellis suffocated, not strangled Jessica.)

[HairOfTheDog]

Defense focusing on 'blame the name' strategy ...

Jessica Chambers was so severely burned she may have had difficulty speaking, D.A. Champion said, offering a possible explanation for why first responders heard her say "Eric" or "Derek."

But defense attorney Darla Palmer cautioned jurors against discounting the victim's own words. Palmer said at least eight first responders heard Chambers say the name "Eric," and also reported she said she didn't know his last name.

"She knew Quinton," Palmer said Tuesday. "She knew his name is Quinton Tellis. But she did not say that that day."

Palmer argued that the case is "full of reasonable doubt" and said evidence would show that Tellis was in Bateville, miles away from the crime scene, buying a pre-paid debit card to send to his girlfriend during the time prosecutors allege he was killing Chambers.

Firefighters who responded to the scene testified Wednesday they wrapped Chambers in blankets to keep her warm. She was wearing nothing but underwear when she was found, and she had trouble saying more than a few words at a time, firefighters said. One testified she said, "Thirsty" and "Cold."

One of the first firefighters on the scene, Daniel Cole, said Chambers had soot around her nose and mouth. Cole said he asked her, "Who did this?" Cole said he heard her say, "Eric set me on fire."

Multiple first responders who testified Wednesday also said they heard Chambers say the name "Eric." Several also said she was difficult to understand.

Firefighter Shane Mills said he was horrified to see her condition. Mills said he knew Chambers, but did not recognize her at first.

"One of the worst things you could imagine," Mills said. "I can't picture it for y'all. Her hair was, you know, beautiful blonde. You look at it at the time, her hair is just fried."

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/jessica-cha...s-testify/

[HairOfTheDog]

The trial has been emotional, with witnesses breaking down on the stand and spectators crying when jurors were shown graphic photos of Jessica's burned stomach and face.

One first responder who gave tearful testimony Tuesday hugged Jessica's father, Ben Chambers (pictured with Jessica below), as he stepped down from the stand.



It's gotta be torture thinking of your little girl being murdered, especially in such a gruesome and painful way.

[d505]

Has anyone watched trial? I am not finished watching it, but I am just curious to hear other people's opinions. If it weren't for Jessica's dying last words eric or derrik I would totally think it was Tellis. If you try and say Telliss name without using your tongue it sounds like Erik. But then again one of the volunteer fire fighters (the one who was super shooken up on stand) said when he asked her name she said Jessica "tambers" which means she could say the ttt sound.
Anyhow based on other stuff she said at the scene of crime like "am I going to die" and the fact she told an investigator the perpetrator was black and she could say her name "Jessica "tambers " makes me wonder if they have the wrong guy and there really is a derrik or Erik who did this.
Also the fact she said she didn't know the guys last name and her friend that testified said jessica knew quentins last name makes me think they might have wrong person. If it weren't for Jessica saying Erik or derrik I would say he was guilty. And I wish they had audio recordings of when they spoke to her at scene. It was 2014. You would think LE would have atleast audio recordings when responding to a scene.
Thoughts??

[HairOfTheDog]

I've only seen portions of the trial and think Tellis is guilty d505.

But, I believe the Defense was effective in hammering home the fact that several first responders heard her say 'Eric' or 'Derrick' when she was asked who did this to her. Jessica's friend testified that Jessica knew Quinton's last name, but Jessica reportedly indicated to officials that she did not know Eric or Derrick's last name. Those two points were the crux of the defense case. I agree with you, it would have helped a lot if there was audio evidence available.

The Prosecution attempted to poke holes in that defense by saying Jessica was so injured that she couldn't speak clearly and that first responders might have been feeding off each other's impressions.

I think the strongest point in the Prosecution's case was the cell phone evidence. It convinced me that Tellis and Jessica were together that night, which contradicts what he told investigators. I don't think the Prosecution did a great job at explaining the timeline whereby Tellis did 'something he had to cover up' to Jessica in her car (near his house), drove her to the spot she was found, left the scene, got his sister's SUV, got gas, went back and set Jessica and the car on fire, and got away so quickly. It was confusing.

But, Champion's closing statement was a good one, in my opinion. He said that the cell evidence shows the two were together up until 4 minutes before the car fire was reported and asked, "what are the chances Jessica got with someone else in that little time and why would Tellis delete all references to Jessica from his cell phone?" (my paraphrase)

I hope the jury doesn't hang. They deliberated today and will pick up deliberations again tomorrow. It's not clear to me if they can find Tellis guilty even if one or more thinks he had an accomplice named Eric or Derrick. I'm afraid one or more of the jurors won't be able to get past the fact that all the first responders testified to hearing her name her attacker as Eric or Derrick, even if they're confident in the cell evidence and don't trust Tellis.

[HairOfTheDog]

Shit. Mistrial declared. The jury could not reach a unanimous decision.

I don't know if Tellis will be tried again for Jessica's murder, but he's serving 10 years after pleading gulity to stealing the debit card of Meing-Chen Hsiao, a 34-year-old Taiwanese graduate student, in Louisiana. LE says he then tortured and killed Hsiao. The jury in the Chambers' murder trial did not know any of this, to the best of my knowledge.

What are the chances that video, cell pings and witnesses show the same guy to be the last person to see two women alive before they were brutally killed in two different states..........and he's not the killer? Slim to none, in my book. I hope prosecutors in Louisiana have an airtight murder case.

http://wcfcourier.com/news/national/the-...67007.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-...z4vi2exKXD

[d505]

I just saw it was a mistrial! Ugh. I would think the judge would make them go back longer and try to come to an agreement! I mean the jury has all the evidence they should go through it. I haven't watched what went on today. But I am surprised Judge didn't tell them to go back. perhaps maybe because he thought they would end up voting not guilty?

The prosecution should have spent more time preparing a better argument for why she would have said Eric.

The DOJ guy makes a great point at the end of the trial hairofdog. Not sure if you watched this part it's at the very end of Day five part two of trial at around
4 hours and 29 seconds into video

https://youtu.be/6ymW-y7K_A0

[d505]

Wow. The foreman is a moron!l. He said it was unanimous. Never seen anything like this. Smh. Now I see why judge declared a mistrial. The jury is clearly incompetent or they just don't have a good leader foreman who knows? Glad I don't live in mississippi.

2 minutes and 21 seconds into video what is going on?? It looks like two people are about to fight or is it just me??

https://youtu.be/bVdK9P-gE5g

[HairOfTheDog]

I just saw it was a mistrial! Ugh. I would think the judge would make them go back longer and try to come to an agreement! I mean the jury has all the evidence they should go through it. I haven't watched what went on today. But I am surprised Judge didn't tell them to go back. perhaps maybe because he thought they would end up voting not guilty?

The prosecution should have spent more time preparing a better argument for why she would have said Eric.

The DOJ guy makes a great point at the end of the trial hairofdog. Not sure if you watched this part it's at the very end of Day five part two of trial at around
4 hours and 29 seconds into video

https://youtu.be/6ymW-y7K_A0

Thanks d505! I hadn't seen the video.

I thought DOJ dude Rowlette did a good job using the cell phone evidence (the pings + the communications between Tellis and Jessica) to build a case beyond reasonable doubt against Tellis. What he presented showed that Tellis lied and lied and lied to investigators and that Tellis was with/near Jessica up until within minutes of the car fire being called in.

Here are some of the charts he presented for anyone who wants a quick overview: http://wreg.com/2017/10/14/jessica-chamb...ive-day-5/

The judge actually did send the jury back for further deliberation once. The jury was confused initially and told the judge that they had found Tellis 'not guilty' because they could not agree. The judge explained that did not equate to a 'not guilty' verdict and polled the jury. Some of them said they considered Tellis guilty. The judge sent them back to deliberate, but they still couldn't reach a unanimous decision.

[HairOfTheDog]

Retrial Results in Another Hung Jury



I'm really disappointed in the verdict (or lack thereof).  

Based on the evidence presented, Quinton Tellis is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in my mind.

The second jury deliberated for about 10 hours before declaring they were hopelessly deadlocked.  

I'm betting the fact that EMTs thought Jessica responded 'Erick' when asked 'who did this to you?' stopped this second Mississippi jury from reaching a guilt verdict (as was the case in the first trial).   

Jessica was burned over 90% of her body and in agonizing pain at the time EMTs arrived at the scene.

It's not known yet if the prosecutors will try Tellis for the murder of Jessica Chambers a third time.

Tellis faces another murder indictment in Louisiana in the death of Meing-Chen Hsiao in Monroe, as covered upthread.  To the best of my knowledge, the juries in the Chambers murder trials were not informed of the Louisiana murder charge (to avoid prejudice).

Story:  https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article...-case.html