Suvechha Sarkar
On a quiet morning in March 2015, 17-year-old Tierra Hall said goodbye to her mother for the last time before leaving for school in Durham, North Carolina. However, the teenager’s promising life came to an abrupt halt when she was found dead behind an empty house the following day. Investigation Discovery’s ‘See No Evil: Savage By Name’ delves deeper into the circumstances leading up to the heartbreaking homicide and the surveillance footage that helped officials identify the killer. The episode also features interviews with her mother and the authorities who worked tirelessly on the case.
Tierra Hall’s Mother Last Saw Her a Day Before Her Remains Were Found
Koteya Hall and her partner experienced immeasurable joy when they welcomed their daughter, Tierra Hall, into the world sometime in 1998. However, over time, Koteya and her partner grew distant, leading to their separation. In 2012, Tierra and her mother relocated to Durham, North Carolina, from Texas. By 2015, the 17-year-old was a junior at Charles E. Jordan High School. She aspired to pursue a degree in Business from North Carolina Central University. Moreover, she dreamt of becoming a business owner someday. Tierra was known for her outgoing personality, which helped her make friends easily. Koteya described her daughter as a “goofy” person who loved making others laugh.
On March 27, 2015, Tierra bid goodbye to her mother to attend the last day of school before the spring break. According to her best friend, Amya Wilson, she and Tierra were excited to spend the break with friends. Things took a dark turn on March 28, when a man called 911 around 4:45 pm to report that he and his girlfriend were checking out an empty house that was up for sale when they discovered a girl seemingly lying asleep on the ground at the back of the home. When officials arrived, they discovered that the girl appeared to be in her late teens and was pronounced dead at the scene. Officials noted blood spatter on the house’s walls and observed that she had suffered severe injuries around her head.
Further inspection revealed the name “King K Tha Savage” written on the back entrance door to the house. Although detectives found her phone case nearby, they were unable to find her phone. Authorities then recovered a hall pass from her high school in her pocket, which eventually helped them identify the remains as Tierra’s. The autopsy revealed that she had been brutally stabbed around 14 times, with the wounds concentrated around her head, neck, arms, and shoulder areas. The tip of the knife was found lodged in the muscles of her left cheek. Her cause of death was determined to be multiple stab wounds.
Footage From the School and Neighboring CCTVs Led Officials to the Killer
Tierra’s remains were discovered behind a house located only a short distance away from her high school. Upon speaking with Koteya, they learned that she had assumed her daughter was with her friends when she didn’t return on the night of March 27, 2015. According to investigators on the show, while interviewing people in the area where the remains were found, they found a witness who informed them that she had heard a girl screaming on March 27. Authorities then reviewed the CCTV footage from the school, retracing Tierra’s steps on that fateful day. The footage reportedly captured her speaking to a black male with dreadlocks and walking with him through the hallway while they talked.
According to court records, the school surveillance footage also showed the boy taking something from Tierra before running away. Following that, she was seen running behind him as he left the school premises at around 12:25 pm, and the 17-year-old then followed him out. Upon checking another CCTV camera near the crime scene, investigators discovered footage showing the boy and Tierra walking towards the location, and shortly after, the boy returned to the school alone. Further footage showed him entering the bathroom with his hands pulled into his sleeves and exiting soon after with his hands out. The boy was then identified as Kelton Breshon Fox, who was Tierra’s former boyfriend.
Reports state that Tierra had already broken up with Kelton in December 2014 after an on-and-off relationship. Digital forensic experts soon discovered that he was using “King K Tha Savage” as a nickname on his social media account. As per official records, detectives learned that his mother used to live in the house where Tierra’s remains were found. On March 31, 2015, Kelton was arrested and charged with first-degree murder. Upon executing a search warrant at his home, they reportedly recovered an empty knife sheath from the garbage can and a notebook where he wrote about Tierra. When Kelton was questioned at the station, he claimed that he had never gone out of the school premises on the day of the murder.
Kelton Fox is Incarcerated at a North Carolina Prison Facility Today
After Kelton Fox’s arrest, he was held in jail without bond. Following that, authorities collected the shoes he was wearing when he was taken into custody. Forensic experts found small amounts of blood on the shoes and later determined that the blood belonged to Tierra. Ultimately, he avoided a jury trial by entering a plea agreement with the prosecution. Kelton pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of second-degree murder on June 14, 2018. On that same day, he was sentenced to 12 years to 15 years and 5 months in prison. As of writing, he is serving his sentence at the Gaston Correctional Center in Dallas, North Carolina. Kelton’s projected release date is set for March 29, 2027.
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