A Tennessee mother is facing first-degree murder charges after police say she fatally shot a man she discovered hiding beneath her daughter’s bed during the early morning hours.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(749x0:751x2):format(webp)/Kendra-Scott-071826-204b57f81da7408593756fab4aa6a424.jpg)
According to investigators, officers responded to a shooting at a Memphis home on July 16 and found Rodderius Morton dead in the front yard with a gunshot wound to the back of his head. Authorities say 36-year-old Kendra Scott admitted to the shooting, telling officers she came home, found “a dude under my kid’s bed,” and believed she “did what I had to do.”
Court documents allege Scott’s 13-year-old daughter had secretly invited Morton into the house without her mother’s knowledge shortly before the incident. The teenager told investigators she became frightened when Scott arrived home carrying a firearm and shouting to know who was inside. She also claimed her mother had previously warned that if she ever found a boy in the house, she would shoot him.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(731x126:733x128):format(webp)/police-car-generic-tout-2-102623-e6d3ad2d93554ccea05f739a69acbd79.jpg)
According to the affidavit, Morton gathered his belongings and left the home after being discovered. Moments later, the teen heard a gunshot. A neighbor told police he came outside after hearing the shot and saw Scott standing in the yard holding a gun while saying, “I shot him.”
Scott has been charged with first-degree murder and employing a firearm during the commission of a dangerous felony. Her attorney argued the case began with “the worst nightmare of any parent,” saying a key issue will be whether someone could act rationally after finding an unknown man hiding in their 13-year-old daughter’s bedroom.
Scott remains in custody, and her first court appearance is scheduled for later this week as the criminal case moves forward.
