Police allege Kendra Scott shot Rodderius Morton as he left her home following a confrontation early Thursday.
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A Memphis mother has been charged with first-degree murder after police said she shot a 20-year-old man who had been hiding beneath her daughter’s bed and was leaving the family’s home.
Kendra Scott, 36, is also charged with employing a firearm during the commission of a dangerous felony in the death of Rodderius Morton, according to the Memphis Police Department and an arrest affidavit cited by local news organizations. Scott remained in the Shelby County Jail without bond and was scheduled to appear in court Monday. The charges are allegations, and she is presumed innocent unless convicted.
Officers responded at about 1:45 a.m. Thursday to a residence on Travis Road in the Walker Homes neighborhood. Police found Morton lying in the front yard near the porch with a gunshot wound to the back of his head. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Scott allegedly told officers that she had found a man beneath one of her children’s beds and had done what she believed she needed to do, according to the affidavit. Investigators later identified the man as Morton. Police have not released the daughter’s age.
A girl who was inside the residence told investigators that Morton had been invited into the home and entered through a back door at about 1 a.m., the affidavit says. Scott returned about 30 minutes later and began knocking loudly at the front door while demanding to know who was inside, according to the girl’s account.
The girl told police she was frightened because Scott appeared angry and was carrying a gun. According to the charging document, she also said Scott had previously threatened to shoot any boy she found inside the residence. The girl eventually opened the door and allowed Scott to enter while Morton hid beneath a bed.
Scott discovered Morton in the bedroom, and the two began arguing, investigators said. Scott allegedly ordered him to leave the house. Morton made his way outside and onto the front porch before the girl heard a single gunshot, according to the affidavit.
A neighbor told investigators that he heard banging and went outside, where he found Morton wounded near the porch. The neighbor also allegedly saw Scott standing in the front yard with a gun and heard her say that she had shot him.
Authorities have not publicly said whether Scott called police, whether the firearm was recovered or what additional physical evidence was collected. The affidavit’s account also indicates that Morton had been invited into the residence, but prosecutors had not yet presented their evidence in court as of Saturday.
The investigation remained active as Scott awaited her next court appearance. Publicly available reports did not identify an attorney representing her or indicate that she had entered a plea.