The Jessica Chambers murder case remains unresolved. Chambers, a 19-year-old from Courtland, Mississippi, was doused with a flammable liquid and set on fire on the evening of December 6, 2014, and died hours later from burns covering more than 90 percent of her body. Quinton Tellis, a man she knew, was charged with her capital murder, but two trials ended in hung juries. He has never been convicted of killing her, and as of late 2025 no third trial had been scheduled.
What Happened on December 6, 2014
Chambers was a former cheerleader and softball player at South Panola High School. On the evening she died, surveillance video captured her at a gas station less than two hours before she was found, buying $14 worth of gas and telling the clerk, “I’m going somewhere.” Her mother, Lisa Chambers, spoke with her by phone about an hour before she was discovered.1The Mississippi Link. Man Charged in Burning Death of Mississippi Teen Jessica Chambers
At 8:07 p.m., two men called 911 to report a car fire on a rural road in Panola County. Firefighters found Chambers outside her burning Kia Rio, alive but catastrophically injured. The fire had been intense enough to bleach the car’s black paint to white. She was able to walk toward an arriving first responder before being airlifted to a Memphis hospital, where she died several hours later.2People. Inside the Investigation of a Miss. Teen Who Was Burned Alive
The “Eric” Question That Split the Case
What Chambers said to the people who found her became the central fight in every proceeding that followed. At least eight first responders testified under oath that she identified her attacker as “Eric.” Paramedic Josh Perkins said Chambers was alert despite blackened airways and told him “Eric” had done it. Deputy Chuck Tucker testified that when he asked whether “Eric” was Black or white, Chambers answered “Black.”3Action News 5. First Responders Testify to Hearing Jessica Chambers Say Eric Burned Her
Investigators spent months searching for a viable suspect named Eric, Derek, or Erica and never found one. Prosecutors would later argue that Chambers’ severe throat burns made certain sounds impossible to pronounce (she reportedly said “hirsty” instead of “thirsty”) and that she was trying to say “Tellis,” which came out sounding like “Eric.” The defense countered that eight trained first responders all heard the same name and documented it in their written reports that night.4Oxygen. Jessica Chambers Said “I’m Going to Die,” First Responder Testifies
Why Quinton Tellis Was Charged
Panola County District Attorney John Champion said Chambers and Tellis knew each other and were friends, and characterized the killing as a “personal crime” unrelated to gang or drug activity. Cell-site data presented at trial showed the two arrived in Courtland around 6:30 p.m. that evening. Tellis admitted to investigators that they had been in Chambers’ car smoking marijuana behind his house. At 7:42 p.m., he texted her: “Bae my friend is coming over tonight, I’ll call you tomorrow. Good night, sweet dreams.” Her phone had its last communication with a cell tower at 8:04 p.m. before shutting off from the heat of the fire.5Clarion Ledger. Jessica Chambers Killing Timeline
More than a year after Chambers’ death, a Panola County grand jury indicted Tellis on charges of capital murder and arson. He was also charged as a habitual offender based on two prior burglary convictions and a felony fleeing conviction. He was already in custody in Louisiana on unrelated charges at the time.6The Mississippi Link. Man Charged With Jessica Chambers Murder Extradited From Louisiana
Two Trials, Two Hung Juries
The prosecution’s case rested on phone records, surveillance video, witnesses who placed Chambers and Tellis together that evening, and forensic evidence from Chambers’ car keys. The keys, found in a ditch two days after the fire, contained a mixture of DNA from four people. A standard DNA test excluded Tellis as a contributor. A separate Y-STR test of male-chromosome DNA could not exclude him but also could not confirm his DNA was present; the analyst testified she could rule out 99.7 percent of the male population, but acknowledged the result was not definitive. After cross-examination, even the prosecution could not claim in closing that Tellis’ DNA was on the keys.7Oxygen. Was Quinton Tellis’ DNA Really on Jessica Chambers’ Keys
The defense pressed on several weaknesses: the “Eric” testimony, the ambiguous DNA, evidence-handling issues (a civilian moved the keys before law enforcement photographed them), and the fact that the officer who collected evidence at the scene had no prior homicide experience. Defense attorneys argued investigators ran out of leads and unfairly zeroed in on Tellis.8Oxygen. Judge Declares Mistrial in Jessica Chambers Murder Case
The first trial took place in October 2017 and ended without a verdict after the jury deadlocked. During the proceedings, a confusing courtroom moment saw the verdict initially read as “not guilty” before the error was caught. Lisa Chambers described it as “total chaos” and “the weirdest thing I’ve ever seen.”9Fox 13 Memphis. Jessica Chambers’ Mother Speaks Out Following Mistrial
The retrial in October 2018 added new expert witnesses. A speech-language pathologist testified that Chambers’ burns would have made clear speech impossible, supporting the prosecution’s theory that “Eric” was a misheard “Tellis.” A burn specialist echoed that opinion. The defense had first responders read aloud from their original scene reports, all of which documented Chambers speaking and naming “Eric.” After nearly 12 hours of deliberation, Panola County Circuit Judge Gerald Chatham declared a second mistrial on October 1, 2018. The jury was reportedly split 6-6.10CNN. Jessica Chambers Mistrial11Commercial Appeal. Quinton Tellis Returns to Louisiana to Face Charges Following Second Jessica Chambers Mistrial
Why There Has Been No Third Trial
John Champion, who prosecuted both trials, died on September 5, 2022.12WREG. John Champion, District Attorney in North MS, Dies As of late 2025, it remained unclear whether the current district attorney, Jay Hale, would pursue a third trial. No third prosecution has been initiated.13Clarion Ledger. Quinton Tellis, Accused of Killing Jessica Chambers, to Start New Murder Trial in Monroe, LA
The Separate Louisiana Murder Charge Against Tellis
While the Chambers case stalled, Tellis was charged with a second murder in Louisiana. Prosecutors allege he killed Ming-Chen “Mandy” Hsiao, a 34-year-old Taiwanese national and student at the University of Louisiana at Monroe, in her apartment on July 29, 2015, roughly seven months after Chambers’ death. Hsiao’s body was not discovered until August 8, 2015. She had suffered 30 stab wounds; three to the carotid and jugular arteries were fatal, and prosecutors characterized the remaining 27 superficial wounds as torture.14Clarion Ledger. Quinton Tellis Accused of Torture in Louisiana Murder Trial
Before being charged with Hsiao’s murder, Tellis pleaded guilty in May 2016 to unauthorized use of her debit card and was sentenced to 10 years in a Louisiana prison. The financial trail became central to the murder case. Investigators testified that Tellis used Hsiao’s phone and later his own to access her Chase bank account, entering a PIN (7223) that was found written in her day planner next to the words “Bank” and “password.” A witness named Eric Hill testified that Tellis told him he “stabbed a Chinese girl” to get her bank card PIN.15MyArkLaMiss. Proceedings Resume for Quinton Tellis Murder Trial
Tellis was formally charged with second-degree murder in May 2019. In October 2022, District Court Judge Larry Jefferson dismissed the charge, ruling the state had violated Tellis’ right to a speedy trial. In April 2024, a Louisiana appellate court reversed that dismissal and ordered the prosecution reinstated.16FindLaw. Louisiana Court of Appeal, Second Circuit Ruling
Trial was set for December 1, 2025, but was postponed after a key prosecution expert, retired Brigadier General Paul Rowlett, was killed in a car crash on November 29, 2025, while traveling to Monroe for the proceedings.17Clarion Ledger. Judge Delays Quinton Tellis Louisiana Murder Trial
Tellis waived his right to a jury, opting for a bench trial before Judge Jefferson. The proceedings began in March 2026. As in the Chambers case, DNA evidence was largely inconclusive. A DNA expert from the North Louisiana Criminalistics Laboratory testified that no DNA found at the crime scene could tie Tellis to the murder. Prosecutors argued the absence could be explained by the killer using gloves and by the extreme decomposition of Hsiao’s body after roughly 10 days in August heat.18KNOE. Lack of DNA Fails to Prove or Disprove Quinton Tellis Was at Murder Scene
The state rested on May 15, 2026. In closing arguments on May 21, prosecutor Holly Chambers Jones told the court the murder was committed by a person “void of emotion” who “wanted only one thing — Mandy’s money.” Defense attorney Robert Noel countered that the case was entirely circumstantial, that no blood was found in Tellis’ vehicle despite the violence of the crime, and that Hill’s testimony was uncorroborated.19MyArkLaMiss. Closing Arguments Are Made in Quinton Tellis Murder Trial
Judge Jefferson was originally expected to deliver a verdict on June 18, 2026, but postponed the decision to allow time to review final transcripts. A ruling is now scheduled for July 23, 2026, at the Ouachita Parish Courthouse.20MyArkLaMiss. Judicial Verdict Postponed for Tellis Murder Trial in Ouachita Parish
Where Tellis Is Now
Tellis is currently serving a five-year sentence at the Mississippi Department of Corrections for a burglary conviction in Panola County, with a tentative release date of October 2027.21Mississippi Department of Corrections. Inmate Details for Quinton Tellis He has never been convicted of either murder. The Chambers case remains open in Mississippi with no third trial scheduled, and the Louisiana case awaits Judge Jefferson’s ruling.