Jessica Lane Chambers was born on February 2nd 1995. Next week she would have been 20-years-old however, she was brutally murdered on December 6th and despite a $53,000 reward the lead investigator, District Attorney John Champion, shares the case is at a standstill.
With no new evidence surfacing, it makes you wonder why the DA would be reluctant to provide the full CCTV video from her last known location – At this point, what would the police have to lose.
MISSISSIPPI – […] The brutal death of the happy teen with the sunny disposition almost two months ago has turned Courtland and Batesville upside down as people have tried to make sense of it, and tried to figure out not if there’s a killer in their midst, but who it might be.
Chambers was found on Herron Road in Courtland a little after 8 p.m. on Dec. 6, walking away from her burning vehicle with burns over 98 percent of her body. She died of those wounds.
Officials classified Chambers’ death as a homicide, but in spite of interviewing what they have said is more than 100 potential witnesses, they say they still have yet to emerge with a prime suspect.
A lot of internet speculation has pointed to gang violence in the case.
Theresa Fleming, whose son Bryan Rudd dated Chambers, and with whom Chambers stayed for a few months, said that any talk of Jessica being in a gang, however, was nonsense.
“Jessica was in no gang. Jessica has never been involved in any gang activity. Just because she was with black people and black people embraced her and treated her as one of their own, it didn’t automatically mean that she was in a gang,” Fleming said.
Fleming said Chambers was sometimes overly trusting, but it was because she was an honest person herself.
“Jessica made bad choices sometimes in the people she chose to be around and in the people she chose to trust. Everyone in this world is not good,” Fleming said. “Just because she had a good, kind, caring heart, she expected that from others, but it’s not always like that in life. You have bad black people and you have bad white people. There’s bad people all throughout this world.”
Rudd has been the subject of internet speculation because of his relationship with Chambers, but he is not a suspect.
For many reasons, including Chambers’ ability to treat everyone equally regardless of skin color, Fleming said the entire community wants her killer found and brought to justice.
“Jessica just wanted everyone to like her. She had some issues in her life but God knows she was truly a sweet person. Jessica never saw color, and her heart just wanted everyone to like her,” she said. “The black community is not hiding or protecting the killer of Jessica. I swear to you if anyone knew who had did this to Jessica that person would not be safe from the black community.”
Last week, authorities announced another $10,000 added to the reward in the case, bringing the reward to up to $53,000.
Meanwhile, the investigation continues. District Attorney John Champion said the reward money has brought in more calls, but no viable leads. From the beginning of the investigation, officials have been frustrated at the lack of “street chatter” in the Chambers case.
“The reward is really not generating anything at this point. We’ve got some things we’re working on right now, and I can’t elaborate on it,” he said. “But we’re still actively working on the case.” (read more)
ADDITIONALLY – […] Her family plans to hold a candle light vigil and balloon release at Sardis Lake Baptist Church, January 31 at 5 p.m. Organizers said Chambers’ parents will set free 20 balloons, each symbolic of her age if she were alive. Supporters will be encouraged to do the same gesture. (more)