JACKSON, MISS– 19 months have elapsed since Jessica Chambers was found burning alive on the side of the road in Courtland. July 15, the man charged with her murder is scheduled to make a plea before the judge.
The court date was originally scheduled for Tuesday, but was postponed due to attorney scheduling conflicts, according to local media reports.
District Attorney John Champion said Tellis and Chambers were friends, introduced through mutual acquaintances, but he would not elaborate on their relationship at a press conference in May announcing Tellis’ charges.
“They were both from Courtland, and new the same people. They were introduced that way,” says Champion, “but we won’t go further in that.”
Quinton Tellis is from the Courtland area, and attended the same high school as Jessica Chambers. They are around 8 years apart in age, so they did not attend at the same time.
Tellis was initially interviewed very early on after Jessica’s death. Champion said there was not enough at that stage of the investigation to hold him or charge him for any crime. Tellis is a three-time convicted felon, and has faced time in Monroe, Louisiana for drug charges and using the debit card of a Tawainese woman found dead in her room.
Ming-Chen Hsaio was found stabbed to death. Tellis was charged with using an access card to enter her room and had used her card, but was not charged for her murder.
Tellis is charged with capital murder in the death of Jessica Chambers. That charge can pack the death penalty, if the party chooses to pursue it.
