Photo: Shelby County Sheriff's Office
A Memphis mother, Kendra Scott, has been charged with first-degree murder after allegedly shooting and killing a man she discovered hiding under her 13-year-old daughter's bed in the early morning hours on July 16. According to an affidavit, officers responded to a shooting call at a home on Travis Road, where they found Rodderius Morton, 20, lying dead near the front porch with a gunshot wound to the back of his head.
Police reports state that Scott returned home around 1:30 a.m., loudly knocked at the door, and shouted, "Who's at my house?" After being let inside by her daughter, Scott reportedly found Morton hiding under the bed. The juvenile told investigators that she had invited Morton inside after her mother left for work and that she was frightened because Scott had previously warned her not to allow boys in the house, allegedly stating, "if I see a boy in the house, then I will put a hole in his a**."
According to investigators, after Morton was discovered, he attempted to flee. Scott and Morton argued as they moved toward the front porch, and the juvenile witness heard a single gunshot. A neighbor told police that after the gunshot, they saw Scott outside holding a gun and saying, "I shot him, I shot him." Scott was detained at the scene and taken in for questioning.
Scott is also charged with employment of a firearm during the commission of a dangerous felony. Her attorney described the situation as "every parent's worst nightmare," highlighting the emotional intensity surrounding the case.