Naomi claimed not to know about the job offer. Her killer was Donnie Frank Jones Jr, who was convicted and sentenced to life in prison for her rape and murder. Al Sharpton, commemorated her life at a funeral on Monday. In an interview with The News last fall, prior to Jones arrest and conviction, Kelly Sharpton said she understood the publics frustration with the amount of time it took law enforcement authorities to arrest Jones, but said she was confident the case was being handled properly. Read more from our news partners at the Chattanooga Times Free Press. Experts fall on both sides of the fence in this matter. 19K 918K views 10 months ago In 2012, Megan Sharpton was studying nursing and just months away from collecting her diploma. After this, Megan, suddenly fell silentMany thanks to 369 Film Studios Leicester, where some of the stock footage shown in this video was filmed.https://linktr.ee/trulycriminal1Sources https://controlc.com/37109004Patreon https://patreon.com/trulycriminal1Merchandise https://trulycriminal.shopBuy Me A Coffee https://www.buymeacoffee.com/trulycriminalThank you to Jupiter Productions for making all of our original music https://open.spotify.com/artist/2rLqqXDTFrqOC1zbA2KMJ1 https://music.apple.com/gb/artist/jupiter-productions/1566649238 Three weeks later, Jones sought to change his plea, citing inadequate legal counsel.Mike Taylor, district attorney in the 12th Judicial District, said an appointed counsel for Jones has formalized his motion. Parents Kelly Hale Sharpton and Don Cornelius, Jr. Grandparents Maurice and Margaret Hale. Guilty plea, sentence stand in Megan Sharpton murderhttp://t.co/NYuu6UI2Z7 pic.twitter.com/QDSMs4sEMp, The Tullahoma News (@TullahomaNews) November 6, 2014, Murder Comes To Town: Tullahoma Nursing Student Vanishes, Found Dead. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. Crime News is your destination for true crime stories from around the world, breaking crime news, and information about Oxygen's original true crime shows and documentaries. 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 know she was nude in that area as well. I aint ever, I had no contact with her, he told authorities. The circumstances of Erika Megan Sharpton's death (which has been ruled a homicide) are quite unusual. Megan Camp and Katrina Wachs are organizing this fundraiser on behalf of Sara Sharpton. As long as the community is safe, Im satisfied. 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. Police gathered that Megan had been sexually assaulted or raped and had suffered blunt force trauma as her skull had visible dents. Moreover, Megans purse was found 5 miles away from where her body was dumped, which was then set on fire. They also learned that Donnie Jones was behind the phone call to Megan about a job interview. This case is also unsolved, and in the same region as the 1999 unsolved disappearance of Kristie . 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. All rights reserved. Her death was a mystery. (BPT) - Do you know how much a power outage costs? 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. DNA and CODIS linked the murder of Megan Sharpton to an ex-con named Donnie Frank Jones Jr., according to the website Blink On Crime. Then, once exiting the car, how did the perpetrator get away? 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. Enter Siblings Caroline (Michael) Taylor, Alex Sharpton, Will Sharpton, Cameron (Lindsay) Sharpton, and Leah Sharpton. Donnie Jones was a police informant with a long rap sheet that included crimes related to theft and drugs. The boyfriend was cleared. your email below for our complimentary daily grief messages. A celebration of her life will follow at a later date. In February, Donnie Jones Jr. pleaded guilty to raping and murdering Megan, a 24-year-old Tullahoma nursing student and was sentenced to life in state prison without parole. Megan Sharpton, 24, was a resident of Tullahoma, Tennessee, and was a couple of months away from earning her college degree. There are other aspects of her case that are highly unusual, as well. pic.twitter.com/OAt6Wxm7, The Tullahoma News (@TullahomaNews) November 16, 2012. It's not a word for families and victims. [Jones] essentially killed them both, said Detective Dyer. But Megan Sharpton never made it. After his arrest, Donnie Jones Jr. was eager to cut a deal with authorities wherein he confessed to the murder in exchange for prosecutors leaving out the death penalty. Ms. Sharpton was a Graphic Designer at A.E.D.C. And you know, actually, just had that compassion for people, that trust, that love for humans. Jones was not charged with the murder of Megan Sharpton, however, only felon in possession of firearms. Copyright 2023, Chattanooga Times Free Press, Inc. Are You Eligible To Claim The IRS Savers Credit? www.tullahomafuneralhome.com. Justice will come one way or the other Peace will come when theres resolution and Im waiting on that peace.. Donnies family owned several farms in that area, said Sheriff Fuller in regards to where they found Megans car. You have permission to edit this article. Your basement may flood if the sump pump goes out, and you may need to rel. Not that the perpetrator was particularly clever in the ways he attempted to cover up what hed done, but rather a certain level of diabolical desperation and deliberation is present. Every memory left on the online obituary will be automatically included in the book. Nieces Chloe' Taylor, Baylee Sharpton, and Lizzy Sharpton. Why was she set on fire only from her navel down to her feet? Megan's car, a red 1995 Ford MUstang, was found near Highway 64 on Three Forks Bridge Road. Your email will not be used for any other purpose. Associated Press text, photo, graphic, audio and/or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium. On Nov. 5, 2012, the state charged Donnie Jones with first-degree murder, rape, and two counts of aggravated kidnapping. Tune into Murder Comes To Town this Friday, March 31, at 10/9 p.m. Central on Investigation Discovery. Aunts Anne Hale, Laurie Weeks, and Lisa Sharpton. The AP will not be held liable for any delays, inaccuracies, errors or omissions therefrom or in the transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages arising from any of the foregoing. Megan was supposed to drop by her familys house that day (a Sunday, July 1st), since her sister was in town. Her family, alongside Rev. The location of Erika Megan Sharpton's body lies about two hours from Darden -- where Holly Bobo vanished in April of 2011. Davis Wants to Talk to You in Teaser for Peacock Series (VIDEO), LOOK INSIDE: Read the 2023 Tullahoma Chamber of Commerce publication, LOOK INSIDE: Read the latest Local Living 2023 publication, LOOK INSIDE: Read the 2023 Medical Update publication, LOOK INSIDE: Read the Holiday Cookbook 2022 publication, LOOK INSIDE: Read the 2022 Breast Cancer Awareness Publication, LOOK INSIDE: Read the 2022 Fall Home Improvement Guide, Ask an expert: 7 most common questions about automatic home generators, One A Day: Small Daily Acts of Self-Care Go a Long Way to Health, Get Ready for Spring & Summer Backyarding: Keep Safety in Mind. Megan Bratton's passing has been publicly announced by Covey, Allen & Shea Funeral & Cremation Service in Wilmington, VT.Legacy invites you to offer condolences and share memories of Megan in Should the day after the Super Bowl replace President's Day as an official federal holiday? And thats where we felt like she was murdered.. Uncles David (Kelsey) Hale and Alex Sharpton. Megan was born on October 24, 1987 in Tullahoma, TN and died there July 2, 2012. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! The Inquisitr is a registered trademark. Kelly was the daughter of Maurice and Margaret Stepp Hale, of Tullahoma. Sharpton, of Tullahoma, was pronounced dead at Erlanger hospital of an apparent suicide, though the case is still under investigation, according to Officer Tim McFarland of the Chattanooga Police Department. Known for her starry tattoos and her favorite pink purse, Megan Sharpton was a beautiful person, a caring young lady who had a big heart for people who were downtrodden in life. Unsolved Murder in Houstons Bayou City: Was Phillip Liases Death an How the Law Protects Some Sexual Abuse Perpatrators, Credit Washing Scheme: Houston Credit Repair Owner used Fake Identity-Theft Reports, Violent Crimes On the Rise In Denvers Capitol Hill Neighborhood, Valentines Day is Almost Here, Watch Out For Romance Scams, Lawless Los Angeles, Lawlessness of Which I Am a Victim. 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. Hours later, Megans body was discovered burning on the side of the road. But Chris putthem on a new investigatory path when he offered a new lead: While detectives couldnt locate Megans phone, the call about the job interview came through on an older phone of Megans, which Chris had in his possession. (No Ratings Yet) The circumstances of Erika Megan Sharptons death (which has been ruled a homicide) are quite unusual. It seemed like the fire was set to her private parts, and the victim even wore a nursing school uniform which was completely burnt. 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. "I wake up in the morningand I see my dead daughter's . According to Taylor, Megan and Chris had an up and down relationship. SSW winds shifting to NW at 10 to 15 mph. Her car was found burned in a remote field. However, a dark and sinister tale of murder emerged from the embers when the police discovered that it was a womans body on fire. Granlund and Niederreiter both score 2, Preds top Sharks 6-2,Mikael Granlund and Nino Niederreiter each scored twice, and the Nashville Predators beat. Donnie Jones is just a cold-blooded killer, said Detective Dyer. Thats the chronology of the crime in an unfolding time lapse. I believe this theory! Visitation with the family will be held Tuesday, November 12, 2013 from 4:00PM till 7:00 PM at Tullahoma Funeral Home. At times during interviews with the Times Free Press, Kelly Sharpton was strong, other times wracked with pain. There was DNA recovered, whichwas sent to the crime lab for testing, offering investigators a glimmer of hope. She last talked to her mother (by phone), Kelly Sharpton, at around 3:45 PM that Sunday, when June turned into July. Though they couldnt trace the number back to an owner, Detective Hindman did trace the phone to a local department store where someone had purchased it. But Donnie Jones pleaded guilty and received a life sentence. He received a life sentence with no possibility of parole. Bob Clemens, of Moore County, designed the memorial, which stands more than 7 feet tall with 24 metal stars that gleam in the sunlight one for each year of Megans life. Cloudy skies. But soon after making plans, Megan called to explain that a last-minute job interview had come up and that shed meet with them whenever she was able to. In 2012, Megan Sharpton was studying nursing and just months away from collecting her diploma. The autopsy further confirmed the rape but determined that Megan had died after being shot in the face. Invalid password or account does not exist. Did Megan know her killer? Currently, Donnie Jones Jr. is serving time at the Northeast Correctional Complex in Johnson County, Tennessee. She was very loved by her family, her friends, and the whole community. Read more from our news partners at the Chattanooga Times Free Press, Inc. are Eligible... 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