MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The trial date for the man accused of setting a Panola County teen on fire then leaving her to die on a country road several years ago has officially been set.
Quinton Tellis’ trial will begin Tuesday, October 10.
According to detectives, Tellis doused Jessica Chambers with gasoline then set her on fire near Courtland, Mississippi back in December 2014. Chambers sustained burns to 98 percent of her body and died the next day.
Several state and federal agencies were involved in the investigation, but there were never any breakthroughs until two years later when authorities announced a grand jury had returned an indictment against Tellis.
At the time, Tellis was being held in connection to the murder of a University of Louisiana Monroe exchange student in Monroe. He entered a guilty plea to unauthorized use of a credit card that belonged to the student on the first day of his trial.
Tellis then waived his extradition rights to Mississippi and was returned to await trial.
