A Tennessee woman is behind bars after shooting and killing a man she says she caught hiding under her daughter’s bed, state authorities reported.
Kendra Scott36, faces one count of first-degree murder and another of use of a firearm during the commission of a serious crime, for the shooting that took the life of Rodderius Morton20, according to the Memphis Police Department.
The incident occurred Wednesday at a residence on Travis Avenue in the Walker Homes neighborhood of Memphis.
Police responded to the home around 1:45 a.m. and found a man lying on the front lawn near the porch with a gunshot wound to the back of his head, according to an affidavit obtained by NBC affiliate WMC in Memphis and CBS affiliate WREG.
Authorities later identified the man as Morton.
At the scene, a woman told the police, “I saw a guy under my children’s bed and I did what I had to do”according to the affidavit. Authorities later identified that woman as the accused.
As the investigation continued, police spoke with a neighbor who said he heard banging and went outside, where he found the injured man near the porch. The same neighbor also reported seeing Scott in the front yard, with a gun in his hand, saying: “I shot him, I shot him”.
Investigators also spoke with a girl who was at the residence who stated that Morton had been invited in and entered through the back door around 1:00 a.m., according to the charging document. Scott arrived home around 1:30 a.m., the girl told police. The defendant allegedly banged hard on the valuable door and yelled, “Who is in my house?”
The girl added that she was afraid of Scott because the defendant was visibly angry and was carrying a gun, police said. The young woman also stated that Scott had previously told her: “If I see a boy in the house, I’m going to beat him up.”
Finally, the girl opened the door and let Scott into the house, according to the charging document. Then, Morton was hiding under the bed in the young woman’s roomthe police reported.
When Morton tried to leave, Scott found him and the two began arguing, the young woman told authorities. The argument quickly escalated into Scott yelling at the victim, “Get out of my house!”, according to the affidavit. The man then came to the front porch.
But Scott was allegedly there with him, according to the charging document. The young woman said she then heard a single gunshot.
The defendant is being held in the Shelby County Jail without bail. She is scheduled to appear in court on Monday.
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