Top editors give you the stories you want delivered right to your inbox each weekday. Kelly Hale Sharpton was 47 years old. Chris Brown scooped two top prizes, beating the likes of Beyonce, Lizzo and Drake. Ms. Sharpton was born in Milan, TN to Maurice and Margaret Stepp Hale. Unable to disprove this, authorities had no choice but to let Donnie walk. Megan put him behind bars for life. ", "I live in South Africa and got to know Kelly on a fellow-grieving mothers' page. Sharpton's body was found on the side of the road near Winchester, Tennessee. We cherish the time we had with our Megan and are grateful for the breadth and variety of experiences we were able to share in her tragically abbreviated life. your email below for our complimentary daily grief messages. Donnie initially denied contacting Megan and even denied getting a burner cell. Jones had also been accused of rape in the past. November 13, 2013 at 1:00 a.m. Messages left for the Chattanooga Police Department seeking additional information on Kelly Sharptons death were not returned by press time. A time of death placed the murder occurring before midnight. She would go to the back streets of Ann Arbor and visit with these people and she was probably 15 years old, and I was telling her, you can`t just wander around the back streets, but she said but mommy, he needs a friend, he needs somebody to talk to. In an interview with CNN, Kelly Hale Sharpton discussed her daughters love for people. DELLINGER, Jr., James Ray James "Jim" Ray Dellinger, Jr., age 92, passed away on Friday, January 27, 2023. An autopsy showed that she died of blunt-force trauma. Many cousins, great aunts, and great uncles. Nieces Chloe' Taylor, Baylee Sharpton, and Lizzy Sharpton. Rachel Noerdlinger says Sharpton will fly to. Im with my kids all the f--king time. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! He could have taken her body much deeper in the woods, but rather chose to leave it in a clearing, off the side of the road, where it would be easily discovered. Now you have to suffer another loss.". Near 1:30 a.m. thatmorning, investigatorsdiscovered a fire on the side of a rural road was actuallya young womans body set ablaze. The Circumstances of Megan Sharptons Murder are Incredibly Bizarre! Gordon Pinsent, award-winning Canadian actor, dies at 92,Gordon Pinsent, an award-winning Canadian actor acclaimed for his performance as a heartbroken husband in the film "Away From Her," has died at 92. She knows socially the person believed to be responsible for Megan's murder, a man she calls a predator who had made contact . They also learned that Donnie Jones was behind the phone call to Megan about a job interview. With the case deepening into a mystery, the police looked into the number Megan received the call from and found it to belong to a burner cell. She was very loved by her family, her friends, and the whole community. Megan mentioned she would try to hook up with a possible patient (Megan was a nursing student), an elderly lady, I believe. It seemed like the fire was set to her private parts, and the victim even wore a nursing school uniform which was completely burnt. Hello! Ms. Sharpton was a Graphic Designer at A.E.D.C. Tullahoma Funeral Home's online guest book was flooded with condolences from friends, co-workers and other grieving mothers who knew now that another mother, Kelly's, was grieving, too. At times during interviews with the Times Free Press, Kelly Sharpton was strong, other times wracked with pain. John Kays identifies timeless remnants from our past that will endure, or be admired by future generations. An arrest has been made in the case of a Tullahoma nursing student whose burned body was found in July. Moreover, authorities also managed to recover DNA evidence from the victims body and sent it in for testing, hoping it would lead them to the killer. Her sister, Carrie Taylor, immediately voiced her suspicions to police, pointing the finger at Megans boyfriend of three years, Chris. Edit your search or learn more. You have permission to edit this article. After searching the property, police found a burn barrel. Death Notice. Kelly Elizabeth Hale Sharpton, of Tullahoma, died Friday, Nov. 8, at Erlanger Medical Center in Chattanooga. Read More: How Did Noreen Kumeta Rudd Die? A celebration of her life will follow at a later date. He pleaded guilty in February 2013. And on Friday, the mother took her own life in a Chattanooga hotel.Kelly was a graphic designer at Arnold Air Force Base.Her daughter's accused killer, Donnie Jones Jr., faces first-degree murder, kidnapping and rape charges, and pleaded guilty. Megan Camp and Katrina Wachs are organizing this fundraiser on behalf of Sara Sharpton. Megan F. Fortney, 42, of Bellwood, died unexpectedly Saturday morning at Penn Highlands Healthcare Tyrone. Aunts Anne Hale, Laurie Weeks, and Lisa Sharpton. But there was one more thing that let Kelly Hale Sharpton know immediately that it was her missing daughter the dead woman had two star tattoos on her body. Kelly Sharpton of Tullahoma, the mother of murder victim Megan Sharpton, meets with reporters outside the Coffee County Justice Center in Manchester in October 2012. Funeral Home website by. 'We're losing control of our own children,'" he continued. Don't be angry. In the months since her daughter Megan, 24, was raped and killed, her body set afire alongside Awalt Road in Franklin County, TN, the grief-stricken mother had struggled to cope. We know she met with her boyfriend after speaking with her mother, but he went to work, so he has a good alibi and has been cleared by the Franklin County Sheriffs Department. An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the e-mail address listed on your account. This document may not be reprinted without the express written permission of Chattanooga Times Free Press, Inc. Material from the Associated Press is Copyright 2023, Associated Press and may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Al Sharpton, commemorated her life at a funeral on Monday. We are trying to help Sara and her family with medical and living expenses. Despite this,Chris denied ever hurting Megan. On July 2, 2012, at around 1:30 am, a motorist discovered a fire beside Awalt Road in Franklin County and informed the authorities. Both are right, however, in saying that the unknown killer wanted her body (and her purse and car) to be found. 25 days since this terrible homicide, and no suspects are yet emerging. "It is apparent that she tried so hard to carry on after Megan's passing, but the pain was relentless. Thats the chronology of the crime in an unfolding time lapse. The Inquisitr is a registered trademark. As our thanks for being a loyal subscriber, you have been upgraded to our premium service AT NO ADDITIONAL CHARGE! She was very loved by her family, her friends, and the whole community. She was 47. We cherish the time we had with our Megan and are grateful for the breadth and variety of experiences we were able to share in her tragically abbreviated life. Authorities were also successful in recovering Megans car, which was found abandoned a few miles away from where her body was found. Donnie Jones initially denied any involvement in the case. Nieces Chloe' Taylor, Baylee Sharpton, and Lizzy Sharpton. judge faith twin sister judge faith twin sister. Tullahoma Funeral Home is honored to serve the family of Erika Megan Sharpton. According to Chris, Megan told him that shed accepted a job offer afriend from nursing school had recommended her for. According to her mother and sister, Meganwas due to have dinner with her family on the evening before her body was found. You can still show your support by sending flowers directly to the family, or plant a tree in memory of Erika Megan Sharpton. She has finally found the peace that was so allusive [sp] during the last sixteen months. Its too bad that the motorist didnt arrive on the scene in time to save Megans life. Megan Sharptons last few minutes of life was pure hell and panic and fear, said Detective Dyer. Detectives circled back to the boyfriend, Chris. Megan Sharpton's mother tells WHNT News 19 Franklin County investigators ruled out her daughter's live-in boyfriend as a suspect early on in the investigation. We cherish the time we had with our Megan and are grateful for the breadth and variety of experiences we were able to share in her tragically abbreviated life. Eugene Brennan. She gave everybody the same benefit of the doubt. Known for her lively and happy-go-lucky personality, Megan was also dating Chris, with whom she had an on-again, off-again relationship for three years. Copyright 2023, Chattanooga Times Free Press, Inc. Megan Sharptons boyfriend told detectives that he last saw her at the house before he left for work around 6:00 p.m. It seemed to be a dead-end, as Naomi Jones said she wasnt close with Megan. Megan Sharpton Death - Obituary | Cause Of Death - Dead - Dies | Died - Passed Away | Click to Read and Leave Tributes. Your e-mail address will be used to confirm your account. She sacrificed her life to keep everybody else in our community safe.. According to the authorities, killer Donnie Frank Jones Jr., set Megans body on fire just 10 minutes before the motorist came upon the scene. A Tennessee man charged with killing a Tullahoma nursing student has pleaded guilty and been sentenced to life in prison without parole. Months after the tragedy, 37-year-old Donnie Jones Jr. was arrested and charged with first degree murder, two counts of especially aggravated kidnapping, and two counts of aggravated rape. She mattered to us all. But where did Megan go after leaving her boyfriends? Her obituary in the Tullahoma News described Sharpton as the world's "brightest star" and "a compassionate, caring soul." . Glasgow, 57, entered guilty pleas Friday to tax evasion,. [Featured Image by Zack Frank/Shutterstock]. Most glaring to those on the scene was the blunt force trauma to the womans head.You could actually feel the broken bones in the skull, said Detective Todd Hindman. Donnies family owned several farms in that area, said Sheriff Fuller in regards to where they found Megans car. However, a dark and sinister tale of murder emerged from the embers when the police discovered that it was a womans body on fire. Authorities pulled 11 or 12 surveillance videos of burner phone sales around the time of the murder, and one of them caught their eye, a man with an off demeanor who clearly already had a phone and was buying a burner phone. Tullahoma, Tennessee, isnt the first place that comes to mind when considering a murder, but in the early morning hours of July 2, 2012, a grisly discovery would be made. So she, you know, maybe was a little too empathetic with people. Whoever killed her, spread the evidence out over three locations. The circumstances of Erika Megan Sharpton's death (which has been ruled a homicide) are quite unusual. Megan Sharpton was supposed to go to her mothers home to see her sister who was visiting from out of town. "The. She further stated that Megan was her classmate, and she had never contacted her with a job offer. The Sharpton family did not want to speak about the death on Tuesday, the day the family was receiving visitors as they prepared to lay Kelly Sharpton to rest. 39-year-old Donnie Frank Jones Jr., the man accused in the 2012 rape and slaying of 24-year-old Tullahoma, Tenn., nursing student Megan Sharpton will spend the rest of his life behind bars. Her pink purse was left in one spot, her red Mustang in another, and her burning body in yet a third location. If you are intrigued to know more and want to find out where the perpetrator is today, we have got you covered. Tullahoma - The world has lost it's brightest star. Via school records, police found a woman named Naomi Jones. However, her mother was always concerned for her because she was naive and too trusting. "We're waiting for him to get the expert mental evaluation done," Taylor said. But when detectives arrived they found the smoldering corpse of a dead female. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. The circumstances of Erika Megan Sharptons death (which has been ruled a homicide) are quite unusual. She was very loved by her family, her friends, and the whole community. On Feb. 4, 2013, Donnie Jones was sentenced to life without parole. Online condolences may be left for the family at www.tullahomafuneralhome.com. Cloudy skies. The Lifecycle of a Raindrop: Why it Matters to You. Are You Eligible To Claim The IRS Savers Credit? 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