Jessica Chambers
Nineteen-year-old Jessica Chambers was doused in a flammable liquid and set on fire in rural Mississippi. Quinton Tellis was tried twice; the second jury convicted him.
On December 6, 2014, nineteen-year-old Jessica Chambers was found walking on a road near her burning car in Courtland, a small town in Panola County, Mississippi. She had been doused in a flammable liquid and set ablaze. She was airlifted to a Memphis hospital where she died from burns covering 98% of her body.
Before dying, Jessica reportedly tried to communicate the name of her attacker to first responders, but her injuries made it difficult to understand her. The case drew national attention due to its horrifying nature and the rural Mississippi setting.
In 2016, Quinton Tellis, a 27-year-old who had been linked to Jessica through phone records and witness statements, was charged with capital murder. His first trial in 2017 ended in a hung jury.
A second trial in 2018 also initially appeared headed for a mistrial, but the jury ultimately convicted Tellis of murder. He was sentenced to life in prison. The case highlighted the challenges of prosecuting violent crimes in small, rural communities.
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