A Tennessee mother is facing a first-degree murder charge after authorities say she fatally shot a man she allegedly found hiding beneath her 13-year-old daughter’s bed in a shocking incident that has sparked intense public debate.
The incident unfolded in the early hours of July 16 in Memphis, Tennessee, when police responded to reports of gunfire at a home at around 1:40 a.m.
Upon arriving at the scene, officers discovered an unresponsive man lying in the front yard with a gunshot wound to the back of his head. He was later identified as Rodderius Morton and was pronounced dead at the scene.
According to an arrest affidavit, the homeowner, 36-year-old Kendra Scott, admitted to confronting the man after returning home.
Scott allegedly told responding officers that she came home and found “a dude under my kid’s bed,” before adding, “I did what I had to do.”
A neighbor who heard the gunshot also spoke to investigators, saying he rushed outside and saw the wounded man near the front porch. The witness claimed Scott was standing in the yard holding a firearm and repeatedly saying, “I shot him, I shot him.”
The investigation took another dramatic turn after Scott’s juvenile daughter gave her own account of what happened.
According to police documents, the girl admitted she had secretly invited Morton into the house at around 1:20 a.m. Shortly afterward, Scott arrived home and began shouting, asking who was inside the house.
The child reportedly told investigators she feared her mother because Scott had previously warned that if she ever found a boy inside the house, she would shoot him.
Police say Scott eventually discovered Morton hiding under the girl’s bed. Morton then gathered his belongings and attempted to leave the home. However, investigators allege that as he exited the residence, a gunshot was fired, striking him in the back of the head.
Authorities subsequently arrested Scott and charged her with first-degree murder and employing a firearm during the commission of a dangerous felony.
Her attorney, Blake Ballin, has argued that the case began with what he described as “the worst nightmare of any parent.”
Ballin said one of the central issues the court will have to consider is whether a parent could reasonably be expected to act rationally after discovering an adult man hiding beneath their 13-year-old daughter’s bed in the middle of the night.
Scott remains in custody without bond. As of now, it is unclear whether she has entered a plea. Her first court appearance is scheduled for Friday, July 24, where the case is expected to begin drawing closer scrutiny as investigators and the court work to determine exactly what happened during the fatal encounter.
