Man Accused of Killing Jessica Chambers Faces New Murder Trial

The Trial of Quinton Tellis: A Long and Controversial Legal Journey

The trial of Quinton Tellis, accused of the 2015 torture death of Meing Chen Hsiao in Panola County, is set to begin on December 1. This comes despite recent motions that aimed to delay the proceedings once again. The case has been ongoing since July 7, 2016, with multiple trial dates being set and rescheduled, including several in 2022. Tellis, now 38 years old, is also the main suspect in the 2014 burning death of Jessica Chambers in Panola County, for which he was tried twice—both times resulting in hung juries.

It remains uncertain whether the current Mississippi 17th Circuit Court District Attorney, Jay Hale, will pursue a third trial. In 2019, the late Panola County District Attorney John Champion described Tellis as one of the most dangerous criminals he had encountered, emphasizing the importance of either Louisiana or Mississippi convicting him.

What Happened in the Mandy Hsiao Case?

Detective Duane Cookson of the Monroe Police Department testified in 2022 that Hsiao was last seen alive on July 29, 2016, and her body was discovered on August 8 at a scene that veteran law enforcement officers described as one of the worst they had ever seen. Hsiao suffered up to 31 stab wounds, including superficial cuts, deeper injuries, and wounds that were sufficient to cause her death.

Cookson explained that no direct DNA linked Tellis to the crime scene. He noted that the advanced state of decomposition and the amount of Hsiao’s blood likely destroyed any foreign DNA that might have been present.

Digital evidence, including cell phone and bank records, will play a central role in the case. Hsiao last used her phone at 5:22 p.m. to call a friend for a ride to church. At 8:16 p.m., a call was made to her bank using her account and a PIN, followed immediately by a call to the same bank from Tellis’ phone.

Tellis pleaded guilty in 2016 to unauthorized use of Hsiao’s debit card, withdrawing at least $1,000, and was sentenced to 10 years before being extradited to Mississippi to face the Chambers case.

Court testimony also included an upstairs neighbor who said she heard a mattress and box springs fall off a bed frame between 8 and 10 p.m. the night Hsiao is believed to have died. She noted that the apartments were furnished with identical beds, making the sound recognizable.

Eric Hill, a cousin of Tellis’ then-wife Chikita Jackson, told police that days after Hsiao’s death, Tellis allegedly bragged about torturing a woman to get her debit card PIN. Hill initially attributed the statements to another individual but later implicated Tellis. Court documents indicate Hill described details of Hsiao’s wounds and other facts prosecutors say only the killer would know.

Authorities and court documents showed Hill later recanted portions of his statement in a written document that contained two distinct handwritings, one that was his and one that was consistent with Tellis’.

No murder weapon or bloody clothing has been recovered. Investigators have relied on a combination of circumstantial, testimonial, and digital evidence to build the case.

Tellis’ involvement in the Chambers case in Mississippi complicates proceedings, as he was twice tried for that death, both ending in hung juries. At the time of his Mississippi indictment, he was held in the Ouachita Parish Jail in connection with Hsiao’s death and debit card charges.

Tellis' Louisiana trial starts five days before the 11th anniversary of Chambers' death.

Courtroom Drama and Judicial Controversy

The Louisiana District Attorney’s office filed a motion on October 27 asking presiding Judge Larry Jefferson to recuse himself, citing alleged bias and personal animosity toward the prosecution. The motion, filed under Louisiana Code of Criminal Procedure Articles 671A and B by Assistant District Attorney Holly Jones, claimed Jefferson could not preside over a fair and impartial trial. On Thursday, word came down that the motion was denied by both the judge and the appeals court, and a subsequent request for a trial continuance was also denied.

The request was backed up by examples of times the DA's office felt that Jefferson had been biased against ADA Holly Jones.

According to court documents, Judge Larry Jefferson, a former Monroe City Court judge in the late 1990s, was removed from office by the Louisiana Supreme Court after a Judiciary Commission investigation found he repeatedly abused his authority. The court determined Jefferson violated multiple rules of judicial conduct by engaging in behavior that was prejudicial to the administration of justice and damaged public confidence in the judiciary.

According to the commission, Jefferson improperly held the city prosecutor and court staff in contempt of court, including jailing the prosecutor and threatening court employees, in situations where he had no legal authority. In one instance, he banned a city prosecutor from his courtroom until the prosecutor apologized for perceived slights, later dismissing 41 criminal cases in the absence of legal representation. Court documents also allege that he interfered with administrative matters despite a court order limiting his authority. Jefferson was additionally found to have engaged in the unauthorized practice of law.

The court ruled that Jefferson’s conduct demonstrated a lack of judicial temperament and professional competence, describing his behavior as persistent, public, and damaging to the integrity of the Monroe City Court. Jefferson was ordered to reimburse the commission $4,333 in investigative costs, and his office was declared vacant.

Jefferson was removed from the Monroe City Court bench by the Louisiana Supreme Court in January 2000 following findings of misconduct. His license to practice law was not revoked, and in 2006, the Supreme Court restored his eligibility to seek judicial office, and he was subsequently re-elected as a judge in 2007.

Jefferson made headlines in 2019 when, during the trial of a man accused of killing a 2-year-old child, he disregarded the jury’s verdict of second-degree murder and found the man guilty of negligent homicide. According to the Ouachita Citizen, the District Attorney’s office appealed the judge’s imposed verdict and the Second Circuit Court of Appeals in Shreveport overturned Jefferson’s ruling.

In Louisiana, the penalty for second-degree murder is life without parole, probation or suspension of sentence. Negligent homicide has a maximum sentence of five years.

Jefferson was rebuked by a State Supreme Court Justice who referenced his “arguably contemptuous ruling” in the case.

Since 2019, internet searches show no appellate or district court opinion since 2019 that attributes a murder conviction to Jefferson as the presiding judge. All of the defendants in murder trials in his court have been found guilty of manslaughter or have been acquitted.

Therese Apel runs and writes for Darkhorse Press.