Shivangi Sinha
In December 2014, authorities discovered 19-year-old Jessica Chambers in Courtland, Mississippi, in her car, which was set on fire. She died hours later from burn injuries in the hospital. With limited physical evidence, investigators relied heavily on witness statements to identify Quinton Tellis as a suspect. He had been in contact with Jessica in the weeks leading up to her death and had reportedly seen her the morning of the incident. Though he was charged with her murder, conflicting evidence led to a mistrial. Investigation Discovery’s ‘Jessica Chambers: An ID Murder Mystery’ delves into the details of the case and explores whether Tellis was ever proven guilty.
Quinton Tellis Didn’t Give a Clear Account of His Whereabouts to the Police
Quinton Verdell Tellis was born on October 6, 1988, and lived in Courtland, Mississippi, with his mother. He first drew police attention after 19-year-old Jessica Chambers was found fleeing from a burning car on the night of December 6, 2014. She was suffering severe burns that led to her death the following morning. As authorities investigated, they reviewed Jessica’s phone records and discovered ongoing communication with Tellis in the weeks before her death. Their messages were sexually explicit, with Jessica rejecting several of his advances. When questioned, Tellis initially denied seeing her that day or knowing what happened, but discrepancies in his story quickly began to emerge.
When police asked Tellis to provide his phone records, he claimed he had deleted all messages with Jessica immediately after learning about her death. He also admitted to being in a sexual relationship with her and said they had been intimate in her car and in the wooded area behind his mother’s house. He allegedly noted that the seats in her car reclined fully. His account raised suspicions, prompting investigators to dig deeper into his whereabouts on the day of the incident. Tellis stated he had gone to Batesville, Mississippi, around 8 pm with a friend and returned later; however, the friend denied this. Another red flag for the police was the fact that Jessica had also been seen leaving Batesville around 7:30 pm.
Police checked Tellis’ phone records and found that he was in Batesville not just at 8 pm, like he said, but also around 5 pm. This was crucial because his and Jessica’s phones had been moving together during that time. The devices remained in close proximity up until the time of Jessica’s murder. Investigators also allegedly found a gasoline canister in Tellis’ garage, which they suspected was used to set Jessica’s car on fire. By this point, police were increasingly suspicious of Tellis and began surveilling him more closely. After reviewing CCTV footage from his home, they noted that his car had briefly pulled into the garage before quickly leaving again.
Quinton Tellis was Linked to Two Separate Murder Investigations Simultaneously
Based on their investigation, police theorized that Quinton Tellis and Jessica Chambers traveled together to Batesville around 5 pm on the day of her murder. According to their report, the two later returned, and while sitting in Jessica’s car, Tellis allegedly made a sexual advance that she rejected. Investigators believe that this rejection may have triggered a violent response, leading him to kill and set her and her car on fire in an attempt to destroy evidence. In 2016, authorities charged him with capital murder. However, by that time, Tellis had already moved to Monroe, Louisiana. He had become a suspect in the murder of 34-year-old Ming-Chen “Mandy” Hsiao.
Hsiao had been stabbed about 30 times, and police found a key lead when they traced the license plate of a car she was seen entering just hours before her murder. It was registered to Tellis. Surveillance footage also captured him using her debit card to withdraw $1,000. In May 2016, he pleaded guilty to one count of unauthorized use of Hsiao’s debit card. As he was considered a habitual offender and also faced charges of possession of a dangerous substance, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Following this, Quinton Tellis was extradited back to Mississippi, where he was formally indicted for the murder of Jessica.
Quinton Tellis is Currently Incarcerated for an Unrelated Crime
Quinton Tellis’ first trial began in October 2017. His defense argued that Jessica Chambers had allegedly uttered the names “Eric” or “Derek” when first responders asked who had attacked her. Meanwhile, the prosecution presented cell phone records and other circumstantial evidence linking him to the crime. However, the jury couldn’t reach a unanimous decision, and the trial ended in a mistrial. A second trial was held in October 2018, during which a burn specialist testified that Jessica’s severe injuries would have made it nearly impossible for her to speak clearly. He also highlighted signs of a physical assault. Despite this, the jury was again deadlocked, and a second mistrial was declared.
Tellis was indicted in the murder of Mandy Hsiao in 2019, but the case faced delays, and in November 2022, a judge dismissed the charges due to the prolonged wait for trial. That decision was later overturned on appeal, yet no new developments have occurred since. Tellis could still face trial in Hsiao’s case and potentially a third trial for Jessica’s murder as well. Currently, he is serving a 5-year sentence for an unrelated burglary charge at the Marshall County Correctional Facility in Holly Springs, Mississippi. The 37-year-old is scheduled for release in 2027.
Read More: Eric Hill: What Happened to Quinton Tellis’ Relative?
