BATESVILLE, Miss. (AP) — The Latest on the trial of a man charged with burning to death a 19-year-old Mississippi woman (all times local): 7:20 p.m. A doctor says a 19-year-old woman who was found alive with severe burns in
BATESVILLE, Miss. (AP) — The Latest on the trial of a man charged with burning to death a 19-year-old Mississippi woman (all times local):
7:20 p.m.
A doctor says a 19-year-old woman who was found alive with severe burns in Mississippi but later died from her injuries suffered so much damage to her mouth, throat and chest that she would have had trouble clearly saying words.
Dr. William Hickerson testified as an expert witness Thursday in the capital murder trial of Quinton Tellis in Batesville, Mississippi, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of Memphis, Tennessee. Prosecutors say Tellis set Chambers and her car on fire and left her to die along a back road in Courtland, Mississippi, in December 2014.
Firefighters who treated a severely burned Chambers on the scene said they heard her say that someone named Eric or Derek set her on fire. Defense attorney Darla Palmer contends that Chambers’ statements show Tellis is falsely accused in the case.
Hickerson testified that Chambers had third-degree burns on most of her body. He said the scorched skin on her chest became tight like leather and she could not speak correctly due to a lack of air.
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12:54 p.m.
A jury in the trial of a man charged with setting a 19-year-old Mississippi woman on fire and leaving her to die along a rural road has visited the road and other key locations in the case.
Prosecutors say Quinton Tellis set Jessica Chambers’ car on fire near a tree farm in Courtland on Dec. 6, 2014. A passing motorist saw Chambers walking down the road and called authorities.
Emergency personnel responded and treated Chambers, who had burns on most of her body. She died at a hospital.
The 29-year-old Tellis faces a murder charge. His lawyer says he has been falsely accused. The 15-person jury visited eight important locations in the investigation Thursday, the trial’s third day.
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5:10 a.m.
A jury in the trial of a man charged with setting a 19-year-old Mississippi woman on fire and leaving her to die along a rural back road is scheduled to visit the crime scene in the case.
Prosecutors say Quinton Tellis set Jessica Chambers’ car on fire near a tree farm in Courtland, Mississippi, on Dec. 6, 2014. A passing motorist saw Chambers walking down the road and called 911.
Emergency personnel responded to the scene and treated Chambers, who had burns on most of her body. She died at a hospital.
The 29-year-old Tellis is on trial on a murder charge in Batesville, Mississippi. His lawyer says he’s falsely accused. The jury is scheduled to visit important locations in the investigation Thursday, the trial’s third day.
