VERDICT WATCH MS - Jessica Chambers, 19, Panola County, Dec 2014 #4

[Deleted member 278]

I'm following here. Breaks and ads were really annoying
https://wildabouttrial.com/live-streaming/quinton-tellis-trial-live-stream/

There is the live feed and a dedicated feed. The dedicated feed does not have ads. It is on the same page, half way down.

 

[UndiscoveredTruth]

4 Key Points Hit at the Start of the Jessica Chambers Murder Trial

Opening statements began Tuesday in Panola County, Mississippi for the murder trial of Quinton Verdell Tellis. Prosecutors argue that he’s the man who fatally set 19-year-old Jessica Chambers on fire December 6, 2014. The defense insists that investigators did an insufficient job looking for alternative leads, and that there is no evidence their client did it.

Here are the key points covered in opening statements.

 

[UndiscoveredTruth]

Day 1 of trial in Jessica Chambers murder case underway

Day 1 of the retrial for the murder of Jessica Chambers trial concluded Tuesday.

Emotions were running high throughout the first day of the new trial, as Quinton Tellis is accused of killing Chambers in 2014.

Opening arguments were made, along with the first set of witnesses taking the stand.

*Please click onto link to view video (three parts) of Day 1*

 

[BUF]

Part 3

Part 4

 

[Vedder]

You look at these first responders. Their baby faces. How could they even process such a scene? This is heartbreaking.

 

[d4j]

Does anyone have a list of witnesses from today?

This is from my notes. I might have missed somebody.

01 Lisa Daugherty Chambers: Jessica's mother
02 Lakesha "Kesha" Meyer: purported friend; often misspelled as "Myers", etc.
03 Dr. Carolyn Wiles Higdon: speech pathology expert
04 Cole Haley: Courtland VFD, Chief
05 Jody Morris: Courtland VFD
06 Seth Ryan Cook: Courtland VFD
07 Daniel Cole: Panola County Emergency Services, Director
08 Brandy Davis: Courtland VFD, EMR
09 Shane Mills: Courtland VFD
10 Will Turner: Courtland VFD?
11 Sandra Haley: Pope VFD, EMR
12 James Thomas Haley: Pope VFD
13 Matthew "Casey" Austin: Pope VFD, paramedic for Medstat EMS

 

[d4j]

Not much change so far, even with the order in which the same prosecution witnesses as the first trial are being called.

One exception is the insertion of one new witness as the third witness in this trial, Dr. Carolyn Higdon (PhD). After questioning from both sides, she was accepted as an expert in Speech Language Pathology. To summarize her testimony, after viewing the first trial testimony of experts from the Memphis burn center as to Jessica's condition along with photographs from the autopsy, her expert opinion was that it would have been impossible for Jessica to make "articulate sounds" and that she would have been in that condition within 2-3 minutes of receiving her severe burn injuries to her mouth, tongue, soft palate, larynx, and vocal chords, as well as the burns to her chest restricting her breathing.

Unfortunately, a number of subsequent first responders who testified today contradicted that expert opinion, not only repeating that they heard her utter "Eric" or "Derick" in response to who did this to you, but also uttering understandable phrases like "help me, help me" and "I'm thirsty" and "I'm cold."

SO... bottom line for me anyway, although in a clinical or theoretical sense Jessica's injuries should have prevented any normal person from being able to speak intelligibly, that tough and spunky little ex-cheerleader who knew how to "gut it out" apparently went ahead and did it anyway. Adrenaline rush, after-effects of marijuana, a determined spirit, or a combination of the three -- who can say. But enough others have already said -SHE- said, and that IMHO means the prosecution has failed to deprive Darla of the defense that worked so well for her last time. Already the seeds of doubt are planted.

Worried,
Clouseau

I agree completely.
"Eric" is the "Achllies' heel" of the prosecution's case.

 

[UndiscoveredTruth]

This is from my notes. I might have missed somebody.

01 Lisa Daugherty Chambers: Jessica's mother
02 Lakesha "Kesha" Meyer: purported friend; often misspelled as "Myers", etc.
03 Dr. Carolyn Wiles Higdon: speech pathology expert
04 Cole Haley: Courtland VFD, Chief
05 Jody Morris: Courtland VFD
06 Seth Ryan Cook: Courtland VFD
07 Daniel Cole: Panola County Emergency Services, Director
08 Brandy Davis: Courtland VFD, EMR
09 Shane Mills: Courtland VFD
10 Will Turner: Courtland VFD?
11 Sandra Haley: Pope VFD, EMR
12 James Thomas Haley: Pope VFD
13 Matthew "Casey" Austin: Pope VFD, paramedic for Medstat EMS

I was meaning to go back over the tweets and make a list but never got around to it so thanks very much d4j, much appreciated.

 

[rbarber17]

One thing came up again today that I was never able to resolve in my mind during the last trial.

Several responders reported a suspicious person on scene who had to be warned away from the taped off crime scene area multiple times. He was described as a black middle-aged male, wearing dark pants, and a light blue shirt which he later removed to reveal a white T-shirt underneath. He seemed only interested in the woods behind where the car had been burned, staring into them from the edge of the scene, and after reluctantly departing under threat of a deputy being called to force him to leave, he looked back over his shoulder toward the same spot as he walked to his parked vehicle down the road. His intense stare, according to one firefighter still on scene after most other folks departed, was like he was looking straight through him, and the man did not respond to anything being said to him.

More than one person testified that his license plate number had been recorded and passed along to Daniel Cole and to "dispatch" to be traced. My question is this: was that tag ever traced, and if so, was the person driving the vehicle ever located, interviewed, and cleared? Or is that information, like Jessica's cellphone, one more thing that has been lost over the past four years?

Clouseau

 

[UndiscoveredTruth]

One thing came up again today that I was never able to resolve in my mind during the last trial.

Several responders reported a suspicious person on scene who had to be warned away from the taped off crime scene area multiple times. He was described as a black middle-aged male, wearing dark pants, and a light blue shirt which he later removed to reveal a white T-shirt underneath. He seemed only interested in the woods behind where the car had been burned, staring into them from the edge of the scene, and after reluctantly departing under threat of a deputy being called to force him to leave, he looked back over his shoulder toward the same spot as he walked to his parked vehicle down the road. His intense stare, according to one firefighter still on scene after most other folks departed, was like he was looking straight through him, and the man did not respond to anything being said to him.

More than one person testified that his license plate number had been recorded and passed along to Daniel Cole and to "dispatch" to be traced. My question is this: was that tag ever traced, and if so, was the person driving the vehicle ever located, interviewed, and cleared? Or is that information, like Jessica's cellphone, one more thing that has been lost over the past four years?

Clouseau

Interesting post, Clouseau. What are the chances his name is 'ERIC'?

 

[Alethea]

Interesting post, Clouseau. What are the chances his name is 'ERIC'?

I was thinking the same thing. Did they identify that person? Could someone else have been involved (like that person) with the actual fire setting who said their name was Eric?

I did not watch the first trial so I have been looking at with "fresh" eyes. I think "Eric" is the hardest thing to get past. We have no idea what she was thinking when she said it. If she had a former boyfriend or friend or relative with that name she may have been ignoring their questions and asking for Eric like you hear people's last words being "tell my spouse I love him/her."

My heart just broke watching the young first responders.

 

[BUF]

One more, last one for Day 1

Part 5

 

[UndiscoveredTruth]

I was thinking the same thing. Did they identify that person? Could someone else have been involved (like that person) with the actual fire setting who said their name was Eric?

I did not watch the first trial so I have been looking at with "fresh" eyes. I think "Eric" is the hardest thing to get past. We have no idea what she was thinking when she said it. If she had a former boyfriend or friend or relative with that name she may have been ignoring their questions and asking for Eric like you hear people's last words being "tell my spouse I love him/her."

My heart just broke watching the young first responders.

I'm not sure whether they identified that person or not. For all we know they very well could have. He may even have been one of the several Eric or Derricks that has been ruled out. I wish we knew more. Tellis's sister's boyfriend's name is Eric. Jessica may have met him, she may not have, I do not know.

I followed the first trial, it was very hard watching/listening to the young first responders then, heart breaking for sure. I cannot imagine what it's like having to go through a second trial.

 

[d4j]

I was meaning to go back over the tweets and make a list but never got around to it so thanks very much d4j, much appreciated.

You are welcome!
By the way, I believe "Brandy Davis" is the correct spelling,
but I have also seen "Brandi" and "Brandie" in mainstream news articles.

 

[roadrunnermt]

Awesome, thank you very much!

 

[d4j]

One thing came up again today that I was never able to resolve in my mind during the last trial.

Several responders reported a suspicious person on scene who had to be warned away from the taped off crime scene area multiple times. He was described as a black middle-aged male, wearing dark pants, and a light blue shirt which he later removed to reveal a white T-shirt underneath. He seemed only interested in the woods behind where the car had been burned, staring into them from the edge of the scene, and after reluctantly departing under threat of a deputy being called to force him to leave, he looked back over his shoulder toward the same spot as he walked to his parked vehicle down the road. His intense stare, according to one firefighter still on scene after most other folks departed, was like he was looking straight through him, and the man did not respond to anything being said to him.

More than one person testified that his license plate number had been recorded and passed along to Daniel Cole and to "dispatch" to be traced. My question is this: was that tag ever traced, and if so, was the person driving the vehicle ever located, interviewed, and cleared? Or is that information, like Jessica's cellphone, one more thing that has been lost over the past four years?

Clouseau

Daniel Cole, in his cross-examination by Darla Palmer,
says something like:

(1) Firefighters gave him the tag number of the suspicious person.
(2) He gave the info (tag number) to dispatch.
(3) Dispatch "ran" the tag and held onto the info (i.e, the identify, I think) for LE.
(4) One of the investigators would have followed up on it, "not me."
(5) He does not know "100%" who that person might have been (implying he probably knows).
​

So dispatch and LE--and perhaps others--know who the person is.
I suspect that LE followed up but did not release his name for some reason.

Here's a video posted by Law & Crime Network on YouTube
that includes a key part of the relevant cross-examination.
Jessica Chambers Murder Trial Day 1 Part 2 Daniel Cole Brandy Davis Shane Mills Testify 9/25

 

[UndiscoveredTruth]

This is interesting, to me at least. Daniel Cole (Director of Panola County Emergency Services) testified that when he asked Jessica what Eric's last name was, she shrugged her shoulders as if she didn't know. At this stage, I'm leaning more towards the belief she did indeed say the name 'Eric'. Regardless of what the Expert says, she wasn't there, these witnesses were and we know Jessica was one very strong, determined young lady.

 

[Niner]

Thank you ALL for the updates!!

Wednesday, Sept. 26th:
*Trial continues (Day 3) – (@ 9am CT) - MS - Jessica Lane Chambers (19) (Dec. 8, 2014) - Quentin Verdell Tellis (27) - indicted on 1st degree capital murder & 3rd degree arson. Plead not guilty. Held without bond. DA will not seek DP.
10/16/17: First trial jurors were sequestered. 10 hrs of deliberations. Came back with 7-5 guilty. Ended in mistrial.
Tellis was accused of killing a second person, 34-year-old Meing-Chen Hsaio of Taiwan, in July 2015. The exchange student at the University of Louisiana at Monroe was allegedly tortured to death to get her credit car PIN numbers. Tellis faces a first-degree murder charge in the Louisiana death.
8/16/18 Update: A jury will be from Oktibbeha County. However, a pending matter before the State Supreme Court could alter the starting date. Dalma Palmer, Tellis' attorney, has requested that District 17 District Attorney John W. Champion be recused from prosecuting the case. The matter is still pending before the court. Champion filed a response on Thursday, arguing that the circuit court's denial of Palmer's original motion to recusal of the District Attorney's office is not an appeal able decision. The jurors will be sequestered. Hoping for opening statements to start on 9/25.
9/24/18 Update Day 1: The 12 jurors & two alternates that remain will be bused to Panola County (in Batesville) where the trial is expected to start Tuesday morning. The trial could last five to seven days. The jury of 15 (3 alternates) has been chosen in the Tellis' retrial. Breakdown: 7 men, 8 women. 9 black, 6 white. (5 black women, 4 black men, 3 white women, 3 white men. Opening statements Tuesday 9/25.
9/25/18 Update Day 2: Opening Statements. Witnesses: Lisa Daugherty Chambers, Jessica's mother. Lakesha "Kesha" Meyers, friend. Dr. Carolyn Wiles Higdon, speech pathologist expert. Courtland VFD chief, Cole Haley. Courtland VFD, Jody Morris. Courtland VFD, Seth Ryan Cook. Panola County Director of Emergency Operations, Daniel Cole. Courtland VFD, EMR Brandy Davis. Courtland VFD Shane Mills. Courtland VFD Will Turner. Courtland VFD, EMR Sandra Haley. Pope VFD, James Thomas Haley. Matthew "Casey" Austin, Pope VFD, paramedic for Medstat EMS. Trial continues 9/26.

 

[BUF]

This is interesting, to me at least. Daniel Cole (Director of Panola County Emergency Services) testified that when he asked Jessica what Eric's last name was, she shrugged her shoulders as if she didn't know. At this stage, I'm leaning more towards the belief she did indeed say the name 'Eric'. Regardless of what the Expert says, she wasn't there, these witnesses were and we know Jessica was one very strong, determined young lady.

The Eric problem seems to be up front again in the trial. Could it be that it was initially thought that's what she said, then everyone followed it (I know we discussed this at the first trial), then reports were made with this info...like a runaway train? I find it hard to believe that Jessica was able to shrug her shoulders in the state she was in when asked about a last name. If done right, the field trip to the scene with fire trucks, etc. might show the chaos that was going on that night.

I keep going back to how QT lied about seeing Jessica for TWO years until confronted with evidence, and immediately erased all his contact with Jessica on his cell...to me, that shows guilt & coverup. All of this will be shown again and Paul Rowlette did a great job last time. Phones reveal timeline of Chambers, Tellis whereabouts

I hope the prosecution went through the effort and expense of a retrial as they have new evidence/witnesses to convict him. IMO there was a jury issue in the first trial, but the Eric problem was there also.

 

[JerseyGirl]

Testimony at Quinton Tillis trial: Dying woman named 'Eric'